<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Grab my Hand, Here Comes the Crash by Cake_Raptor</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22379506">Grab my Hand, Here Comes the Crash</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cake_Raptor/pseuds/Cake_Raptor'>Cake_Raptor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>It smells like disaster [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Venom (Movie 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alien disaster Venom, Alien/Human Relationships, Anal Sex, Betrayal, Biting, Blow Jobs, Bondage, Bottom Eddie Brock, Cannibalism, Come Eating, Consentacles, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Human Disaster Eddie Brock, Hurt/Comfort, Japanese Rope Bondage, Let's eat some Nazis Eddie, Mirror Sex, On the Run, Other, Police Procedural, Possessive Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Rimming, Road Trips, S'mores, Smut, Spit As Lube, Tentacle Sex, Top Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Vacation, Venom Symbiote (Marvel) is a Little Shit, Venom as a living cock sleeve, Whipping, eat the rich, symbrock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 15:41:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>63,259</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22379506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cake_Raptor/pseuds/Cake_Raptor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eddie had thought he was done with the Life Foundation. All he wanted to do was to relax with his other, but duty calls. And because nothing is ever simple, the Life Foundation proves to be more insidious than he ever thought.<br/>Finished!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dan Lewis/Anne Weying, Eddie Brock &amp; Dan Lewis &amp; Anne Weying &amp; Venom Symbiote, Eddie Brock &amp; Original Male Character(s), Eddie Brock &amp; Venom Symbiote, Eddie Brock/Venom Symbiote, Original Female Character/Original Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>It smells like disaster [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1380787</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>258</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>470</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Marvel Universe, Venom</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The world is terrible, so I'm dropping this early. I'll be adding more tags later. I'm trying a little bit of a different format in this story, which you'll see soon. I couldn't figure out how to make it work otherwise. The title comes from the Fair to Midland song, The Walls of Jericho.<br/>Tw: cannibalism.</p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 1</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie Brock carefully shut the office door behind him and sauntered down the hallway, whistling a cheerful tune. Pausing before the elevator, he stuck a finger in his mouth and worked a shred of meat out from between his molars.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Delicious, Eddie. </b>
  <span>Venom purred.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie didn’t say anything, but grinned ferally and rubbed the centre of his chest where he imagined the bulk of his symbiote lay curled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smooth slick of Venom’s black substance coated his finger as he pressed the elevator button. It chimed pleasantly, the doors sliding smoothly open. Eddie stepped in and hit the button for the ground floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elevator opened onto a tidy, ultra-modern lobby, decorated tastefully in spring green and silver with pops of orange. He nodded to the receptionist as he strode out nonchalantly, hands in his pockets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She barely looked up from her computer, scrolling through Facebook, the picture of boredom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie merged smoothly into the late afternoon crowds of San Francisco. Being the tail end of summer, it was packed with tourists. It was a fine, golden day so everyone was out enjoying the weather before the thick fogs and the creeping damp of autumn really set in. Eddie was old hat at navigating the heavy crowds though and made good progress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He found a convenient park overlooking the harbour and plopped down on a graffitied bench, slouching indolently. He belched as he dug a battered, foxed notepad out of his jeans pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a list of names written on it. Several were crossed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Digging a stub of pencil out of its coiled spine, he crossed one more off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost got ‘em all.” Eddie said aloud. “Hope it’s not the receptionist that goes into that office next. We left a bit of a mess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Well, she shouldn’t have punched us in the eye. Missed biting her head off cleanly.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was pretty surprised she even tried. She looked too old to put up that kind of fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Can’t always judge people by what they look like.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie smiled. “So philosophical, V. I thought all you did at night was watch cooking shows, porn and animal documentaries?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>I </b>
  <b>
    <em>read</em>
  </b>
  <b> lots of things too. History, philosophy, science… Anatomy.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anatomy, huh? Like to read about what we eat?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Like a butcher studies cattle.</b>
  <span> Venom stirred smugly. </span>
  <b>That, and new ways to violate you.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>His cheeks heated as he grinned. “Learned anything new?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Yesssss…</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooh... You’ll have to show me later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The symbiote purred roughly, throbbing through his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s breath caught in his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Later, sweet Eddie.</b>
  <span> They abruptly changed the subject, insatiable as always. </span>
  <b>So when can we eat the rest of the people on the list?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He rubbed his scruff with a rasping noise. “I’ll have to see the best ways to get near them. They’ll be tougher to get close to. We can’t waltz into too many offices begging for interviews. Just the one is suspicious enough. We’ll find out if any of the others goes out for drinks or something late at night. Maybe they like the theatre. That’s always good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom twisted around his spine slowly. </span>
  <b>Easy for someone to have an accident then.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie and Venom had been slowly working through the upper echelons of a group of people that turned out to be heavy investors in the Life Foundation’s medical research division. He’d started digging into them on a whim after he kept finding their names coming up while researching a follow up to his first written article on the company.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Carlton Drake’s whole schtick had been that he was funding it all, of course that was not the whole story. These wealthy people had all invested significant capital. He’d thought maybe they were unawares of the horrific corner cutting and outright torture that Drake had encouraged. Perhaps their conscience had niggled them to do something with their obscene wealth and they’d decided to help out one of their fellows with cures for diseases and get some of that sweet credit if Drake had been successful. But no. Of course not. They were in it up to their ears, fully aware of the atrocities. Eddie had found records of them </span>
  <em>
    <span>visiting</span>
  </em>
  <span> the fucking laboratory. These wealthy investors had the same flawed designs on ‘saving the human race’ that Carlton Drake had. By ‘human race’ they meant people who could afford the treatments, not some icky poor person or someone who dared question how these miracles had been made.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had been responsible in their own way for the six months of torture Venom had gone through and all of the countless homeless people that had been killed by the starving symbiotes. Eddie wished he still had his show, so he could go charging in and confront them for all to see, lay out their crimes like trophies, watch them stammer and turn red and blow their fucking tops. However, they had been clever about their investments. Even if Eddie hadn’t fucked up and lost his show, the money had passed through so many shell corporations and accounts and other fun loopholes that it was fully deniable if the law got involved. If you didn’t know what you were doing, it was easy to miss. Eddie only caught it because he’d done this kind of investigation often enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So Eddie and his other had been tracking them down all summer. They’d killed the first one on his sprawling property in the hills above Berkeley, staging it like a mountain lion attack. Another had been yanked into an alley and eaten, their leftovers stashed in a dumpster. A couple had been out on the bay in their boat; they’d tracked them out there, sunk the sailboat and devoured them, leaving the scraps for the sharks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This last woman had been a little less planned; Eddie had more been planning on getting her to go somewhere less obvious for a fake interview, but she’d insisted on her office. Oh well. What they’d left behind hardly looked like something a human could do. She had no cameras in her office and in the footage from the rest of the building, Eddie had not a speck of blood on him, nor any way to hide any kind of major murder weapon. It was suspicious, but nothing could link him otherwise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie was aware on some vague level that what they were doing went a bit beyond protecting innocents, since most of these rich donors were no longer doing anything scummy beyond what the wealthy got up to on a day to day basis. They were keeping their carefully sculpted noses clean for now. He could feel what they were doing looming up behind them and tried not to think about it and just kept planning more murders. Sometimes, in the armpit of a bad night, he lay awake wondering how he got here. Wondering if Venom had changed him on purpose or if this was just a side effect of symbiosis; both of their more base instincts bleeding together, turning him bloodthirsty and vicious. He’d look back on all the steps leading him to this point and every single one seemed perfectly logical and now he was selecting their victims ahead of time so they could hunt them down and eat them. He wasn’t actually bothered by that and </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>bothered him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then Venom would notice he was awake and fretting and would distract him with an orgasm or two or gentle caresses and murmured sweet nothings, holding him wrapped up tight and safe and then everything would be right in the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aside from the occasional dark thoughts at 4AM, Eddie was happier than he’d maybe ever been; he’d rather die than be separated from Venom. Thinking back to the three times they had been torn apart made his breath come short and quick, his heart pound and his stomach lurch. The alien was perfect for him. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>understood</span>
  </em>
  <span> him like no one else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So this couple, they have a home in Lake Tahoe. I think Dan said his family owns a cabin up there. Tomorrow is dinner night with Anne and Dan.” He waggled his eyebrows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom picked up on what Eddie was suggesting. </span>
  <b>So we ask them if we can use the cabin, then eat this Rebecca and Marc Shipton. Excellent idea, Eddie.</b>
  <span> they purred, dragging a tendril across his back, under his shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled. “Not long before we take care of all of them. That’ll be it for the Life Foundation. No one who knew about you will be left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His other fluttered around his heart in happiness. </span>
  <b>Will be safe. Safe from them. No more worries from </b>
  <b>
    <em>them</em>
  </b>
  <b>.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, there is SHIELD and the Avengers. They know about us.” Eddie replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Yes, but they are busy. They will leave us alone. They think of us as useful tools.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie made a dubious sound and got up. He didn’t have his Bluetooth headset with him and the milling tourists were starting to give the man talking to himself some uncomfortable looks, leaving him in a widening circle of avoidance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If they knew what we were doing, they wouldn’t be too happy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom snorted. </span>
  <b>We are being careful, mostly. Think that some of them would know why we need to kill these people.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you’re right babe.” he muttered as he stepped onto a street car, heading home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Home turned out to be a different apartment. This one was a little nicer, with thicker walls and less rats and cockroaches. The unit still overlooked a grimy alley and it wasn’t far from their old one, so they could still stop by Mrs. Chen’s bodega.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie had felt much too paranoid about possible cameras and other bugs in their old building, so they had moved. His stay at the Avenger’s Compound had proved to be fairly lucrative. They had paid him well, enough for them to afford to move and install very good locks in their new place. He’d written an article under a pseudonym about his (heavily edited) stay there in addition to his already planned one about the effects of advanced weaponry on organized crime in a post-Avengers era. They had both done quite well, even though SHIELD had edited some of his favourite bits out before they had allowed him to submit them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This new apartment had better neighbors. No pot-smoking, music blaring burnout next door. It mostly had San Francisco old-timers, with a few desperate young people who were trying to break into the tech business. They were all just trying to get by in an increasingly crowded and expensive city, clinging to the edges determinedly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie and Venom tried hard to keep the building extra safe to make up for their own weirdness and loud sex. It didn’t really faze the old-timers, as they had Seen Some Shit in their long decades here, but Eddie wanted to do something to help, even if no one ever knew it was them. They discouraged people from shooting or smoking up in the doorways, showing them safer sites for that. Any gangsters that tried to shake people down for money found themselves yanked into an alley and expiring in a crunch of bones.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stopped at the mailbox before heading up to their apartment. Inside was the normal assortment of bills, flyers and… a package crammed into the back. Eddie spent a few minutes trying to wrestle it out, but had no luck. It fit like a glove.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How… the fuck did… the mailman… even get this in here!” he grunted, trying to wiggle it out, hoping his fingernails could snag the edge enough. He glared at it. Even if he managed to drag it towards the front, there was no way he’d get it out. There was a metal lip running all the way around. He stopped futilely. “Babe? A little help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Yes, Eddie.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Black rippled out around his fingers, tipping them in fine claws. He slit the cardboard of the package and opened it, drawing out the rattling contents. Eddie frowned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guess they decided we needed our next refill.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a bottle of gel caplets, filled with phenethylamine. They still had a lot of the first bottle they had been given. Dr. Dan had proclaimed it safe, but they would rather just hunt for what they needed and get rid of a bad guy at the same time. They didn’t want to get dependant on the Avengers or SHIELD. It was for emergencies only.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie hadn’t sent out their new address to either of them, but there you go. They were still watching them, at least a little. Maybe with more of those stupid StarkTech trackers. As long as they left them alone, that was the best Eddie and Venom could hope for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inside, Eddie turned on the toaster oven and scrubbed a couple potatoes. Once it was hot he popped them in. When the potatoes were nearly done, he got Venom to cut up broccoli while he fried a couple pork chops in bacon grease. The symbiote carefully wielded a paring knife, slicing the vegetable into uniform stalks. They liked to help, even if they didn’t much like broccoli, but they hated being spattered with hot grease even more. He hummed tunelessly as they cooked dinner. The package had been annoying, but it wasn’t enough to sour their good mood. It was nice having a goal to work towards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie didn’t have any big stories he was working on at the moment; just fluff, special interest and human interest pieces. That was fine though. He didn’t always need to be dropping huge, paradigm-shifting stories now. He and Venom went out several nights a week dispensing justice onto the deserving. He could concentrate on writing things that kept them in tater tots and chocolate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After dinner, he called up Anne.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Annie! How are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her voice echoed as she put him on speakerphone. “We’re pretty good. That meeting with the committee Dan had to go to went well.” There was the sound of her suddenly smacking something excitedly. “OH! You wouldn’t believe the </span>
  <em>
    <span>idiot</span>
  </em>
  <span> that showed up in court today! He-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-maybe save the ranting for later, honey? You can tell them in person tomorrow.” came Dan’s calm voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Dan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello Eddie. How’s V?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“We are both good as well.”</b>
  <span> the symbiote replied, using Eddie’s mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So uh, we’re wondering if dinner is still on tomorrow night?” Eddie asked, using his own voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course it is!” Anne exclaimed. From the way she sounded, Eddie figured she’d had a couple glasses of wine. Anne usually got excited and silly after a couple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie started loading the dishwasher, phone mashed between his shoulder and ear. “Just checking. Can we bring anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m making lasagna.” Dan called from somewhere else in the room. “Bring garlic bread.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Same time?” Eddie asked, though he knew the answer. It was a dance they went through every couple of weeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup. We-” there was a crash interrupting Anne, followed by a flurry of sputters and curses. “Fuck! Mr. Belvedere just knocked over my wine. I gotta clean this off the couch. See you tomorrow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bye!” yelled Dan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bye.” Then they hung up.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Short chapter this time. I know its not the usual, but I hope you like it anyways!<br/>Thank you to all my regular commenters; you know who you are and you are the best.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 2</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lieutenant Isaac Kwan let out a deep sigh, rubbing his eyes in exhaustion. His daughter had just started sleeping through the night once in a while, but it was still hard. It didn’t help that he was also working overtime.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not because he especially needed to, but because he had volunteered his time. Jocelyn, his wife, hadn’t been too happy, but she understood why. Isaac was a bit of an idealist. He had started working in the police force because he wanted to help the less fortunate. He wanted to protect people. When he was a boy, he’d looked at the police in their tidy black uniforms and thought, this was what he wanted to be. The reality had turned out to be quite different.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure, the police helped people, but they also brought too many of their own personal biases into their job. San Francisco had an epidemic of homeless people and instead of helping them, his fellow officers would chase them off or laugh at them or ignore them or worse. Isaac tried very hard not to be that person, despite the creeping cynicism and pressure from his fellow officers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the Demon of San Francisco showed up, at first the police were terrified and enraged. It had, after all, attacked a group of them when they came to investigate a break in by a strange creature at a television building. It had not been pretty. Several officers had died during the attack, a few more after. The rest had critical injuries ranging from fractures and dislocated limbs to severe brain damage and severed spinal cords.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac had watched the cobbled together footage with the rest of them. It had been grainy, filmed in infrared and chaotic as laundry in a dryer. Not all the officers had their cameras on and the few that did had been damaged from being thrown around like ragdolls. There were glimpses of a fierce creature, all tooth and claw and writhing tongue. It moved like lightning, easily taking out the entire squad dressed in full SWAT gear. They were shaken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time went on and the Demon attacked no more police; instead it killed and terrified only criminals and so their view of the beast changed. There was still hatred and resentment towards the creature, but now there was also apathy. Some saw it doing what they not so secretly wanted to do; take out criminals permanently. It was certainly making their jobs easier; even Isaac could tell. There were less violent crimes happening on the streets of San Francisco and the surrounding cities.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chief had ordered them to concentrate on other facets of crime and ignore the Demon for now. Isaac was appalled and had volunteered his time to work on figuring out what this Demon was and where it came from. He had a fat folder listing all the confirmed murders and sightings of the Demon and another of possibilities he was working through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac had a few ideas about the creature so far.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One: It was somehow linked to the Life Foundation, as it had showed up when that company was imploding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two: It was intelligent, since it was somehow avoiding being caught on camera, plus its selective hunting habits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three: Eddie Brock knew something about it and wasn’t letting on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The weary man began typing out more incidents, adding to the list on his computer. The kills were all quite regular. There was at least one almost every week, occasionally more when he gathered data from the surrounding communities. So for that reason, the gap in the spring stood out like a missing tooth. There was nothing for over a month. No sightings, no partially consumed bodies. It was very strange.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His phone buzzed. It was Jocelyn, wondering when he was heading home. Isaac tried not to put too much time into his little project. Just a few hours a week. He didn’t want it to consume him. Work-life balance. That was important. He saved his file and shut off his computer, then returned the physical files to a locked cabinet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled a light jacket on. It was summer still, but the sea breeze at night was damp and got into your bones. He wasn’t a young man anymore, with the stubborn refusal to acknowledge temperature that came with it. Isaac was firmly in middle age, with the gray hairs to prove it. He slung a messenger bag over his shoulder and went to take the BART home. He zoned out on the train, lulled into a stupor by the drone and gentle rocking, only blinking and coming alert when his stop was called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their daughter, Ava, was already asleep, making tiny snuffling noises in her crib. He traced a gentle finger down the curve of her soft cheek before tip-toeing out of the room. Jocelyn had delayed dinner long enough for him to be able to enjoy it fresh. They sat down at their small kitchen table and tucked into their stuffed squash happily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the evening was quiet; they cuddled on the couch as they watched TV, then cleaned up the kitchen before bed. It was pleasantly domestic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had hoped the next day would prove to be quiet as well. He had paperwork to catch up on and calls to make, but alas…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Halfway through the morning, one of the inspectors stopped in front of his desk. Isaac looked up with a questioning hum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were investigating the murder of Zöe Parnell and found something funny.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I heard about that, but it’s not my case.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but you might be interested anyways.” She threw down some printed off photos. “Here’s your buddy Eddie Brock leaving the scene. He’s the last person who saw her alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac snapped to full attention. “What? How do you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cameras. Nothing in her office, unfortunately, but he’s the last one who left before the receptionist went up to see why Ms. Parnell wasn’t answering her phone. Poor thing. Gonna need a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> of therapy after that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac got up. “Let me see what you’ve got.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they strode back to the inspector’s desk, she commented, “We figured you’d end up with this file anyways.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at her sharply, his brows furrowing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like it’s another Demon case. We can never get anything useful out of those, so once we did enough to appease the late Ms. Parnell’s family, it was going to go to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The inspectors plopped down at her chair and began clicking at her computer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you know it was the Demon? Also, why did you print off those photos and not these ones?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dramatic effect.” She replied as she spun the monitor and raised her brows. At first it looked like strange piece of art; scarlet sprayed about the green walls in wide arcs, a pool clotted deep maroon spread across the floor. In the centre of the composition was a carcass, headless and gnawed. Obvious claw marks gouged both the body and the desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He drew in a sharp breath, clenching his jaw tightly. “That’s the Demon. That’s its work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No shit, Sherlock.” the inspector snorted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He raised a brow at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.” she said meekly. “So, gonna help us lowly inspectors?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I’ll transfer over to this. And I’ll call up Brock and see what he knows.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isaac walked back to his desk, mind spinning. How was Eddie Brock tied up in this? He sat carefully in his chair, taking his phone out and idly turning it over in his hands as he stared at the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No use delaying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The police officer hit ‘Eddie Brock’ in his contacts. It started ringing immediately. Brock picked up after two rings, sounding slightly breathless. There was street noise in the background.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Isaac! What’s up? What’s uh, what’s on fire? You never call us-” he paused, making a little grunting sound, “-me unless something bad is happening.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac kicked so he spun in a slow circle in his chair. “There was a recent crime, yes. Would you be able to meet up soon? It’s important.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, if it’s important. Got some bad guy you need me to dig up dirt on? Something you can’t do? Maybe a juicy story?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Something like that.” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Someone honked in the background and Eddie pulled the phone away from his mouth to yell a curse at them with little malice attached. “Sorry about that. So how soon is soon? I’m pretty open for the next couple of days…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about today?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa. Um,  I’m just heading out to do some errands and pick up some garlic bread for dinner with Annie tonight, but I’m not heading over to her place until six.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you two were living together?” Isaac asked, slightly confused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Ah. Right. We didn’t talk around when that all, uh, happened. It was a thing. Well... Anne and I aren’t together anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah. It’s fine. Water under the bridge. We’re friends. We go over to her place a couple times a month for dinner. Her new guy is great. He’s a way better fit for her than I was.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac tilted his head to the side. “We?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie paused just a moment again. “... Yeah. I’m with someone else now. They’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” His voice was warm with affection. “Anyways, I can meet up whenever before five.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you had lunch yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then how about in an hour? At Caffé Roma? We’ll have a late lunch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure. I gotta be off then. Gotta go. See you soon.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Also, the poor receptionist... :P</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I decided to update again. I'll probably post this twice a week, since it's super long.<br/>Apologies if any police or lawyer stuff is wrong. I do a little research, but I don't have time for a deep dive.<br/>Tw: Mentions of violence and cannibalism.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 3</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Why do we need to meet up with Isaac? We don’t want to. We were going to see a movie before we went to the store and Anne and Dan's.</b>
  <span> Venom said sulkily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, babe. We can see the movie another day. I gotta meet up with Isaac and see what’s up. He’s an important contact for me. We’ve helped each other on cases. Having someone in the police force who’s actually willing to </span>
  <em>
    <span>talk</span>
  </em>
  <span> to a mouthy asshole like me has been a big help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom surged through him in a huge sigh. </span>
  <b>I suppose…</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make it up to you later. When we go see the movie, we can have </span>
  <em>
    <span>double</span>
  </em>
  <span> the snacks.” Eddie said soothingly, turning to head to the restaurant. There would be enough time to get something to eat before Isaac showed up, at least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was bright and cheery inside, not too busy since the lunch rush was tapering off. Eddie got a table for two and ordered a large mocha and the pizza with the most meat on it. He’d finished both the pizza and the mocha, starting in on a second one when Isaac arrived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked about the same, maybe a bit more tired than usual, dressed in his favoured khaki slacks and a blue button up. He had a jacket on, hiding his gun. The police officer sat down with a sigh, digging a folder out of his messenger bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How have you been, Brock?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not too bad. Same old. Eventful spring, as you can guess, but the Feds made me sign an NDA… Had, ah, a case of meningitis part way through helping them, so I was out for a couple weeks longer than expected, uh.” He realized he was babbling and finished with, “You?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yikes. Sorry to hear about that. You’re fine now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Got fixed up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, good. Ava’s getting big now. She’s finally sleeping through the night. She had a bout of colic for a while, which was awful. Poor thing screamed herself hoarse. I’ve pretty much had more of the same at work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The server came by. Isaac ordered a black coffee and an avocado toast. Eddie ordered a chicken wrap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, uh, the reason I wanted to talk to you was that there was, well, a murder. Zöe Parnell, who was the CEO and founder of NatureRise, was found dead in her office yesterday. You were the last person to see her alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that moment, the server arrived with Isacc’s coffee, allowing his brain a few more seconds to spin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fuck fuck </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> that had been a bad idea!</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Play dumb</b>
  <span>, Venom advised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit… How? She… she was fine when I interviewed her. Pissed off, but fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> you interviewing her?” Isacc asked, tilting his head to the side and lacing his fingers together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie took a slurp of his mocha. “I was working on a piece about businesses who were knowingly peddling fraudulent medical treatments. She got mad for some reason and ordered me out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, one thing’s for sure. You don’t change, do you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you didn’t notice anything unusual?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope. How did she die?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got a strong stomach?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac Kwan produced some of the pictures. There was their handiwork, in vivid crimson.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>She made us make such a mess. Maybe should have eaten more of her.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“The window can’t be opened and there was only one way in or out. There is no way anyone could have gone down the hallway without being caught on camera. So, how did she get killed?” Isaac asked, frustrated. He shoved his toast in his mouth, chewing like it had done him personal harm.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Doesn’t suspect us, Eddie. Not really.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe they were waiting in the office, hiding?” Eddie ate a few bites of his wrap. It wasn’t as good as the pizza.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No room. I’m going to let you in on something. We think it was the Demon of San Francisco.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie sat back. “Ah.” Unconsciously, he scruffed a hand through his brown hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Oops. Nevermind. Bite his head off?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie thought furiously. “C’mon, you don’t really believe in it, do you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I do. I’ve got evidence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie sucked in a breath. He had to keep it cool. Maybe act excited instead? His gut was churning with anxiety. He leaned forward. “What kind of evidence? I’ve only seen some shitty video. I figured it was faked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, we have measured bite and claw marks. Nothing on Earth matches them. There has been some other evidence collected. We think it’s drool, but the lab can’t sequence any DNA from it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Can’t get DNA. I don’t have Terran DNA.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh. So if you’re looking at that kind of thing, maybe it’s not from around here? You know what’s happened out east. The same shit’s starting here too. You remember that giant-guy. Maybe this Demon doesn’t need doors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you be honest with me? This all started the night when the rocket exploded. You were involved somehow. Do you know anything that Carlton Drake might have released? Anything? There were government spooks hanging around there after, so our department never got a good look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie bit the inside of his cheek, drawing a little metallic blood. “No.” he answered finally. “There isn’t anything I know about it.” His cheek tingled as his other fixed the damage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac gave him a long look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There wasn’t anything.” Eddie repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, one more thing… I’ll need you to come back with me to the station. I need to get some samples off you. Just fingerprints and DNA. I have to because you were the last person to see her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The muscles in Eddie’s cheeks jumped as he clenched his jaws. Venom was tense and waiting inside him. “I thought we were, well, not friends, but on friendly terms.” he finally grated out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are. That’s why the SFPD didn’t show up at your door with a warrant to bring you in for questioning. This looks </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad for you. Ms. Parnell must have died only minutes after you left. You are the number one suspect.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie said nothing staring. He suddenly didn’t want to finish his lunch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The only reason you aren’t being held right now is no person could have done that to her. Brock, whatever killed her </span>
  <em>
    <span>ate</span>
  </em>
  <span> part of her. It’s a monster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom stirred irritably. They liked ‘monster’ only a little more than ‘parasite’. They rippled briefly against his skin as if they were toying with the idea of coming out to say hi. He felt a faint, but deep growl coming from the symbiote. It felt like it shook his bones like an earthquake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie rubbed his chest, willing his other to behave. “I’ll come with you. I don’t appreciate this though.” He pulled some wrinkled bills out of his wallet and threw them onto the table. He pushed in his chair with a bit more force than necessary. The legs screeched along the tiled floor. Eddie jolted like he’d been electrocuted, choking out a pained grunt and hunching his shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Isaac asked, concerned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah... yeah, I’m good. Just… Nevermind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The restaurant was only a short walk from the police station, so Eddie was back in its cold and impersonal halls quicker than he would have liked. Isaac led him to one of the rear rooms. Other officers watched boldly as they passed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt Venom take just a tiny bit of control to curl his lip into a snarl at two young rookies. He clapped his hand over his mouth and forcefully turned his head away.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Bad place. Don’t like it here.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac pulled on blue nitrile gloves and rooted around in a drawer, producing a fingerprinting kit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that really necessary? I’ve been fingerprinted before.” Eddie said, trying to make it sound like a joke. It failed even to his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. We need updated ones, in case you have new scars on your hands.” Isaac also produced a tool that looked a bit like a small flattened hook. “Give me your hands.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He held them out. Isaac took first one, then the other. His knobbly fingers were cold. The hook was scraped under each nail, like the time an old girlfriend took him to get a manicure. Then it was dropped into a bag and sealed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To collect any foreign DNA you might have had under your nails.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac took each finger and pressed it to an ink pad, then to paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie rubbed his stained fingers together absently as the police officer got out a long swab with a plastic cap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Open please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Should give our body sharp teeth. Be funny.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie clenched his fingers, trying to will to Venom how much he did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> want that to happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cottony bud was swiped along the inside of his cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Could bite off his hand. Just mask and it will already be inside our mouth. Crunchy. Easy.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac withdrew the swab before the symbiote could do something stupid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s all. Thank you for not making me have to get a warrant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie grunted, peeved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walked back to the door. His hands tingled briefly as Venom emerged to eat the ink staining his fingers, then sank back under his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! I’m so stupid! Why didn’t I think of that before!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Brock, you always tape record your interviews. Can you bring me the tape? It would really help clear your name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie was already shaking his head. “Nope. Didn’t record this one. Parnell saw the recorder in my pocket and made me switch it off. You saw what I was wearing in the video. I couldn’t have hidden anything in those pockets with those jeans on. All I have is my notebook.” It was true. His jeans that day </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>been on the rather tight side, but it was hard finding jeans that fit when you were a weightlifter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Isaac deflated. “See you around then. I’ll call you if anything else happens.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie waved vaguely, stalking out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Eddie, you are stressed.</b>
  <span> Venom rumbled, letting some of themself ooze out under his clothes and around his middle like a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, babe. Eating Parnell in his office was fucking stupid. We got too eager. Now Isaac is sniffing around us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>He will have to leave us alone. No other evidence links us together.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie crossed the street, heading to a nearby grocery store to get the stuff for garlic bread. Venom had decided they were actually going to make it themselves instead of buying a premade loaf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It just makes me nervous. We should be keeping a lower profile if we’re going to be eating well known people like her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>No one knows we ate the others. Think they were all accidents. We are very clever.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled a little. “We gotta be careful. Isaac’s a good cop. He’s smart too. It’s a good thing we’re going to head to Lake Tahoe. It will give Isaac time to move onto the next crime.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>People were giving him weird looks as he spoke to himself, puttering around the grocery store. It was a bougie high-end one, filled with fairly sheltered tech people.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>No headset. It’s in your leather jacket.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh well. We won’t be the weirdest thing they’ve ever seen, love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A loaf of French bread, butter, parsley and a block of marble cheese went in the basket. He went to the checkout line and began setting everything on the conveyor belt. He noticed Venom had snuck a couple chocolate bars in when he hadn’t been looking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know not to come out in public.” Eddie murmured.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>No one saw.</b>
  <span> Venom replied petulantly. </span>
  <b>Want chocolate, Eddie.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the magic word?” Eddie glanced around, hoping no one was paying too much attention. However, all the attention from the people in front and behind him was being intently focussed on their phones.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>If you won’t buy me chocolate, I </b>
  <b>
    <em>won’t</em>
  </b>
  <b> let you come later. Will just leave you aching.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that is pretty convincing…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later that evening, Eddie was seated on the couch at Anne and Dan’s. He could see a ghost of a stain from the wine that had been dumped on it the night before. Mr. Belvedere had deigned to let Eddie touch him, so the cat was gargoyled on the armrest, purring like a motor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air was rich with the scent of bolognese and melting cheese from the baking lasagna and garlic bread. He had a glass of excellent red wine held in hand. Venom was letting him drink tonight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anne was in the middle of her delayed rant about the jackass in court, gesticulating wildly. She’d already had one glass of wine and it had gone down a little too easy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan was smiling indulgently, chopping cherry tomatoes to go in a salad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom darted out a tendril, snagging a cracker with a piece of brie and a blob of jalapeno jelly on it, bringing it to Eddie’s lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Eat this! Hungry!</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He opened his mouth, letting his lover carefully place the appetizer on his tongue. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> very good. His own head was spinning a little from the wine so food would definitely be a good idea right about now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... So then he and the </span>
  <em>
    <span>judge</span>
  </em>
  <span> ended up getting in an argument and you would </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> believe the things they started yelling at each other… Then the judge threw his gavel at my client and tried to climb over the wall. He tripped over his robes and concussed himself. So now the judge is being investigated for misconduct and my plaintiff has to go through everything all over again with a new judge.” Anne took a slug of wine. “So you can imagine the paperwork that </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> have to go through.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie snorted. “Ah, the glamour of being a public defender…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anne rolled her eyes. “It’s not easy being one of the good guys…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The microwave soon beeped, signaling that dinner was ready. Eddie shoved the last two cheese and cracker things in his mouth and got up. Anne and Dan always insisted on sitting at the full table. He would have been perfectly happy sitting at the island, but there was no dissuading the couple when they got an idea in their heads.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie dished himself up a generous serving of dinner; the appetizers had been tasty but it was like throwing pebbles into a yawning chasm for how well they sated their hunger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone ate in silence for a few minutes. The lasagna was delicious. Dan had of course, made it from scratch.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Good thing we made the garlic bread too. Tasty, Eddie.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmhmm.” Eddie mumbled in agreement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan sighed happily. “The wine complements the pasta perfectly, honey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t thank me. The clerk at the store helped me pick it out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, then she picked marvelously.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Eddie.” Anne started, switching topics suddenly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked up from his plate to see Anne and Dan share one of those special couples looks, the sort where all kinds of information was shared silently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh oh… I know that look. What did we do this time?” he said with a grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…” Dan replied. “You know that we generally understand why you go out on your… nighttime excursions… But…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anne finished what Dan had been hemming and hawing about. “You’ve been going after some more high-profile people lately, haven’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Eddie, she is too smart. Should we tell her?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah.” he said, replying to them both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anne brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and unconsciously reached out for Dan’s hand. “Is that a good idea? These aren’t the normal bad guys you go after.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom spooled out over Eddie’s fingers in an imitation of Anne. He rubbed his thumb against the black goo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you even know what we’re doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mouth twisted. “You’re forgetting my old firm represented the Life Foundation. I’ve seen some familiar names cropping up on the news. Pretty funny disappearances, aren’t they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie grimaced. Venom tensed just a little inside him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I didn’t put it all together until yesterday, with what happened to the CEO of NatureRise. Eddie, what were you thinking?!” Anne’s normally smooth brow was creased with worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hated seeing her like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His shoulder tingled as Venom formed a head. </span>
  <b>“Do not worry. The police don’t really think Eddie did it.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“The police?!” Dan exclaimed, his normally cool facade cracking somewhat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aww, babe…”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Sorry.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um. How do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> even know about Parnell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The person who discovered her body had a freak out, but not bad enough to not share a picture on SnapChat. It went viral before social media companies started to try to block it and there wasn’t keeping anything under the lid after that. How do you not know about that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’ve had a busy couple of days.” he replied defensively. “You know I don’t really do the whole social media thing anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he had The Brock Report, he had accounts for everything. Both he and people from the network posted regularly on them. After he disgraced himself, they’d locked all the accounts and he’d fallen off or deleted his personal ones after he got deluged by hate messages.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie, just… Maybe you should calm down on the vigilantism for a bit. People are going to be looking for the Demon. Anne and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“We will be careful. We promise, Dan. Maybe we should go on vacation, Eddie?”</b>
  <span> Venom prompted with the subtlety of a brick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie would have liked to kick Venom, but he wasn’t a big fan of pummeling himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vacation? Skipping town will look </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad if you’re already being investigated by the police.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, we really haven’t done any travelling for fun. I’d like to show V the sights a bit. Go on a road trip before it gets rainy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anne made a dubious sound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have Isaac on my phone. He can call me whenever. It’s not like we’re going into hiding. I’ll even let him know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed. “So where were you wanting to go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weeeellll… we know your family has a cabin up in Lake Tahoe, Dan. So we were kind of hoping we could use it for a week?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about your job?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged. “I can write anywhere. I have my laptop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Eddie promised me we would get to see more of Earth. He says it is very pretty there.”</b>
  <span> Venom pleaded in a voice like rolling thunder, their pale eyes as wide and innocent as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…” Dan started, “Would it keep you out of trouble?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie tried his most winning smile. “We’ll do our best?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not gonna work on </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> anymore. Just, please be careful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“We always try. Not our fault that trouble finds us.”</b>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Eddie and Venom are such idiots sometimes... They have to share their brain cell, but it gets lost sometimes when they get hungry.<br/>Also, Eddie is a himbo in his tight jeans.<br/>Comments keep me warm and cozy in this nasty winter! Thank you to my regulars!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Road trip!</p>
<p>TW: Short sex scene near the beginning.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 4</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The wind was warm and perfect, gusting by his face as they roared down the highway going 85. Technically, this was speeding, but along this stretch it was fairly empty and they </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> have superhuman reflexes. Eddie was letting Venom drive and he could feel their glee bubbling through him like champagne.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was sunny and clear, far from the cool fogs of San Francisco, out past Sacramento. They’d zipped past cookie-cutter suburbs, then rich and fragrant farmland. Now the smoothly paved road was dappled with shade from the pines growing along the road. He grinned in pure joy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His hands were sunk deep into the black mass of his other. They squeezed them gently, in turn feeling Eddie’s happiness. He laughed, wrapped up in a feedback loop of euphoria.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Feels good.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom leaned Eddie’s body into a turn, swerving smoothly around a minivan. Eddie’s heart quickened with a small pulse of adrenaline, but there was no fear, only excitement. He caught a glimpse of sticky handprints on the windows and a screaming child and then they were past. There was hardly anyone out here in comparison to the earlier highway; mostly semis, some tourists and a few commuters. So Venom decided to ooze their head out above Eddie’s helmet, sticking to the back of his neck and shoulders. Their eyes squinted into crescents and they let their tongue hang out, flying behind them like a scarlet banner. Oh, this was </span>
  <em>
    <span>fun</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Out past Colfax, they turned off along a little dirt road, driving down it a few turns before stopping. Eddie’s stomach growled. It was time for lunch and a break.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie’s Scrambler was heavily laden and the kickstand sank deeply into the sandy soil. He’d brought out his old saddlebags and strapped his duffle bag behind the seat with bungie cords. It wasn’t really meant for road trips, but he made it work. He dug out a small cooler that contained their lunch; ham and cheese sandwiches, a banana, a carton of milk and a chocolate bar.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shrugged off his leather jacket. “It’s too hot up here!” He spread it on the ground and sat down with a groan, dragging the cooler closer and digging out the first sandwich.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After lunch, he was still sweating in the sun, so he shucked off his t-shirt next, tossing it over to the motorcycle. He missed and it landed in the dust.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom picked it up and draped it over a handlebar.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, love.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>You are welcome.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He settled down, leaning back against his hands, closing his eyes against the sun. “This is nice.” Eddie murmured eventually.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom made a noise of agreement, stretching through Eddie, feeling the heat from the sun soaking in. This was a very primal thing that humans almost never did. They were always rushing from one place to another. After eating a large meal, basking in the sun was a perfect way to enjoy it. All they could hear was the faint hissing of the distant highway, the rustle of wind through the trees and the various sounds of birds and insects. It was very peaceful.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie’s brain was fairly quiet, just a low hum of background activity. He was dozy in the hot sun, warm and relaxed. A small smile was spread across his plush lips. He looked beautiful. Skin golden like he’d swallowed the sun, gleaming with a little sweat. His multitude of tattoos stood out in stark contrast. Venom snuck out a tendril and traced them gently. The symbiote was overcome with a wave of love for this beautiful, flawed, perfect human.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmm… Feels nice, babe…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They laced tendrils across his powerful thighs and broad chest. </span>
  <b>
    <em>Mine</em>
  </b>
  <b>.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All yours…” Eddie shifted so he could lean on one hand, holding the other to his chest and wrapping his fingers around the web of black. “You know, no one can see us from the highway and I don’t think anyone really uses this road…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>What a delicious idea…</b>
  <span> the symbiote purred. They tightened the tendrils a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie moved his hand, letting it brush over his nipple. It contracted and hardened. He pinched it and tugged, a jolt of pleasure singing down his nerves straight to his cock, which stirred. He unzipped his fly and took himself in hand. He was still soft, but with a few strokes it swelled, standing upright.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom manifested a head, licking a stripe along his throat and cheek, tasting the salt of his sweat, curling the pointed tip of their tongue around his ear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie’s breath hitched in his throat. He shifted to his knees instead so both of his hands were free. With his other hand he took his balls and tugged them with a soft moan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His other sank their head back into his shoulder. Their tongue grew out of the skin of his groin and wrapped around his cock, wet and warm and perfectly enveloping. They licked up a pearly bead of pre-cum that formed on the head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Delicious.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But then they didn’t move.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I can’t always do all the work, Eddie.</b>
  <span> Venom said, humor evident in their voice. Instead, their black skin flowed over the pink of their tongue. Inside, the texture shifted, Venom’s already richly textured tongue growing more pronounced in its ridges and bumps. They had turned themself into a living sex toy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie grinned, immediately realizing. He took it and began pumping his hand up and down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘H-holy shit…” he gasped, “That feels </span>
  <em>
    <span>incredible</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom tweaked and twisted his nipples as Eddie jerked himself off. Pleasure rippled through them both. He tried a few different techniques; giving his hand a twist and applying pressure to different parts. His eyes rolled back in bliss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>E-Eddie!</b>
  <span> Venom keened as their host pumped faster, building rapidly to that cliff’s edge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie moaned in response. Venom sounded </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrecked</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Fuck… That’s so hot, babe.” They had their bond opened wide, feeling exactly what Eddie did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Oh, Eddie! More! Faster!</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie complied eagerly, pumping his hand and fondling his balls. The sleeve made </span>
  <em>
    <span>filthy</span>
  </em>
  <span> noises.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh fuck, oh shit, Venom! I’m so close!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His balls drew up tight and he teetered on the edge, the sensations almost too much to handle and then plunged over. Eddie let out a yell, muscles clenching tight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom quivered like jelly before losing cohesion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie wrapped his hand around his cock, slick with saliva and cum, squeezing and sliding, passing his thumb over the dark pink head, dragging the sweet pleasure out. He slowed as he became too sensitive. While he had a love/hate relationship with overstimulation, he didn’t have the self control to do it to himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, Venom. That was amazing. You always surprise me with new tricks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The symbiote dragged some of themself up, drunk on neurotransmitters. </span>
  <b>Yeeesss, Eddie… Maybe let </b>
  <b>
    <em>you</em>
  </b>
  <b> do the work morrre often. Feeelsss nicccee…</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed. “I’m okay with that. The question is, would you be? You like taking control.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>True.</b>
  <span> Venom manifested a small head, grinning sloppily. They twined a bit of themself around his wrists.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie gathered Venom’s head close and planted a kiss on top. As the afterglow faded, he became aware of the fact that his crotch and the front of his pants were a filthy, sticky mess.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no, hang on, I’ve got another pair of pants in my bag.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Wait, Eddie. Have a better idea.</b>
  <span> They pulled themself together from the pool of ink spread across their host’s knees and crawled up over his crotch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, maybe… maybe that’s not a great idea. Remember what happened last time you tried that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I have better control. This time I won’t eat your clothes.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good, cuz I like these jeans.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The symbiote flowed up over the soiled fabric and Eddie’s groin, paused a moment and then sank smoothly into his skin, leaving the jeans wrinkled, but clean.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie tucked himself back in and zipped up, running a hand along the fabric. “Wow. It worked!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Of course it did.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He picked himself up, knees popping a little as they protested being knelt on for so long. He shook out his shirt and jacket and put them back on. He began the complicated procedure of getting everything fastened back down, then mounted the  motorcycle. He revved it, tire spinning out in the soft soil and sped back towards the road, fishtailing a little. Time to finish driving to Lake Tahoe.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>About an hour later, they reached the lake. It was dry, with widely spaced evergreen trees. The cabin Dan’s family owned proved to be a sturdy little one room affair built of logs stained a cheery yellow. It sat on a lot partially covered in crushed gravel, though there was a patch of dry brown grass in the back and some brush around the edges. There were a couple planters filled with junipers and hardy native flowers framing the front yard. The cabin had a red tin roof. Wandering around the back revealed a dilapidated swing set, streaked with rust and haunted by spiders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn’t see any other cabins from the lot, but the privacy was largely an illusion. It only looked like the only cabin in miles of scrubby forest. There were three other cabins within shouting distance; in fact, he could hear shitty country music drifting from one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom passed Eddie the keys as he walked up the steps made of old railroad ties. In the sun, the smell of creosote was heavy and acrid. The lock turned easily and they stepped into Dan’s childhood cabin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It smelled faintly of woodsmoke and heavily of musty furniture. It was one big room, except for the bathroom, with a loft over half of the space. Sturdy beams criss-crossed the ceiling. There was a river rock fireplace on one wall, soot blackening the opening. The place had running water and electricity, so it wasn’t as rustic as it looked. Dan came from a wealthy family, so of course they wouldn’t want to rough it </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They brought in the saddlebags and duffle, dropping them on a worn orange and brown couch to wait while they wheeled the Scrambler into the back yard. Then came the various tasks Dan had told them they had to do to bring the place into full livability. The fridge needed to be closed and plugged in, water turned on, bedding and other things like that to be taken out of steel lockers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then they had to drive into the nearest town to pick up food. Dan had explained that they always kept a stash of canned food in the cupboard but after Eddie opened it and saw five cans of pork n’ beans with peeling labels, he knew that they would need food tonight. Venom needed more than canned beans to keep them happy. There were several towns spaced all around the edge of the huge lake so they didn’t need to go far. They drove slowly through it, looking for a grocery store or bodega. The Scrambler growled irritably at the low speed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The town was a touristy mash up between a ski village and an old west town. There was a distressing number of chainsaw carvings. Tucked in off the main drag was a grocery store with a disgustingly twee fake log cabin motif.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once inside, Eddie wrangled a buggy and started wandering the aisles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>What should we get?</b>
  <span> asked Venom, peering through Eddie’s eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie dug the Bluetooth headset out of his jacket pocket and screwed it into his ear. “We definitely need the camping essentials.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>What are those?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hesitated a moment. He’d never done much camping. He’d gone once as a kid and twice in his early twenties and that was it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carl Brock had decided at one point that he had to do the Typical American Things with Eddie so he’d grow up to be the kind of man Carl wanted him to be. He’d borrowed a tent and cooler, picked up a couple army surplus sleeping bags and cheap inflatable mattresses and packed up the car. They’d driven upstate a couple hours, but when they got to the campsite, Carl discovered there was a fire ban on. They ate cold hotdogs and canned stew for dinner. Carl then decided they should go for an evening hike. They were quickly driven back into the tent by hordes of black flies, so they went to sleep early. It started raining in the night, the much needed rain finally arriving, heavy and cold. The borrowed tent sprang a leak in the bottom and had a puddle in it, dampening their sleeping bags. By morning the firewood was too soaked to get started so they gave up and left after the first night, the air practically sizzling with the sullen disappointment coming off Brock senior.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie didn’t have super clear memories of his other two times. He fell into the fire the first time and burned his hand. His solution to keeping the pain at bay was to be always holding a cold beer, which ended up with him getting blackout drunk and passing out under his friend’s truck since with his blistered hand and reeling head he couldn’t figure out the tent zipper. He woke up with a pounding headache, aching hand and centipedes in his pockets.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The second time, he decided to be smart and stay away from beer. So in his infinite wisdom, he did mushrooms instead. Eddie wandered into the woods once they really got going and wound up having a deep conversation with a stump for several hours. Then it got too dark and he started freaking the fuck out, thinking he was the last person alive in the world and evil demonic bears were lurking behind every tree to eat him. So he buried himself in branches and leaves and hid until he started coming down and heard his friends looking for him in the grey light of dawn.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So Eddie’s camping experience wasn’t actually normal; which meant he was going to draw his knowledge from television and movies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So we’ll need lots of hotdogs-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Yesss…</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-more canned beans, bacon, eggs, biscuit mix, marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom squirmed happily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-potatoes, milk and some veggies.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie wandered the store, dumping things into the buggy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t really need to get only camping food, since Dan’s cabin has a fridge and stove. Is there anything you want us to have?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Ice cream.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wheeled the buggy around and headed for the frozen food aisle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what kind do you want?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom peered through Eddie’s eyes at the flavours. Eddie could see the swirl across his eyes in his reflection on the misty glass.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>One with chocolate.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rolled his eyes. “Thanks babe. Super helpful. There’s chocolate in </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> half the flavours, so that really narrows things down.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eddie. Behind us.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned to see a teenage girl giving him the side eye. “What’s wrong with your eyes?” she boldly asked. “They went all swirly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Parasitic infection.” Eddie replied, grinning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Parasite!</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gross.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie turned away and threw a box of chocolate cherry cheesecake ice cream on top of the potatoes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Parasite?!</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rubbed his chest, still smirking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom seethed irritably just under his skin, pressing against it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was a joke, babe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I’ll show you a joke…</b>
  <span> muttered the symbiote sullenly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie was able to pay without further comments from his body mate, who stayed silent all through the transaction. Even when Eddie was trying to get everything to fit on his motorcycle, which was an endeavor and a half.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll have to come back in a couple days for more food if we don’t find a billionaire couple to eat soon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Mmm…</b>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The drive back was slow and awkward. The heavy bags changed the centre of gravity significantly and the road out of town was gravel. A lesser rider would have found it daunting, but Eddie had had only a motorcycle for years, so he was used to getting creative when bringing things home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He parked out front and started pulling the bungie cords off with snaps and twangs, loading himself up. Venom helped support the weight. Multiple trips were for suckers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he began putting the food away, Eddie frowned. One bag felt suspiciously light. He peered in to see the ice cream box was completely empty, as if it had never had anything in it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“V!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a smug purr, Venom replied, </span>
  <b>“Yes, Eddie?”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You ate all the ice cream!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Yes.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why? You don’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> to eat that way!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>You called me a parasite.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed and chucked the cardboard into the fireplace. “It was a joke. You know I don’t mean that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I know. But I was hungry. Seemed like a better idea than eating your spleen.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We aren’t even that hungry. I can feel that. You are the </span>
  <em>
    <span>worst</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>We will just have to go back tomorrow and get more.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“... Fine.” Eddie replied grudgingly. “You know, living with you is like living with a cat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom purred and squeezed Eddie tight.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comments make me sing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I haven't quite finished writing this, but I had to rewrite these earlier chapters, so they're pretty polished. I think I'm two or three chapters from the end. This thing is a beast. It's already longer than the first fic in the series. Enjoy!<br/>Tw: Crime scene</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 5</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac paced the office at NatureRise again. Everything was still taped off and marked for the investigation. While Parnell’s body had been taken away to the morgue, blood was still everywhere. It had slowly dried into burgundy and brown. The room stank like a butcher shop, though not a clean one. It was metallic and foul, as the humidity of this town meant that everything dried slowly. It made his stomach roll. After a crime scene early in his career that had involved fire, Isaac had been unable to eat meat since. This just further reinforced what a good idea that had been.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was looking, somewhat desperately at this point, for any kind of lead away from Brock.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d known the man for years now and he couldn’t see how there could be a connection between him and the Demon. Eddie liked to get up in the faces of people and he’d been in a fair number of fights, some of which had even been on camera for his show. But murder? No. Isaac couldn’t see that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Besides, this room had been sprayed in blood. Brock was totally clean in the video footage. The lab hadn’t gotten back with the results from his nail scrapings yet, but Isaac knew they’d be clean. Not that there would have been sure-fire evidence under his nails if he had done it. A day had passed and anyone that would leave blood or tissue under their nails for that long would be pretty gross and would have been caught long before. There was also the issue of the corpse’s missing head and organs. They were nowhere to be seen in the room. It didn’t match up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac stopped his pacing, glaring at the spot where Parnell’s body had lain, marked out neatly in the dried carnage. How had the Demon done this?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock had suggested that the Demon didn’t need to use conventional entrances, but that didn’t fit either. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> that it couldn’t teleport or slide through walls like some of the weirdos that were in the news so often. He had seen video of the creature; it ran and jumped and climbed, perfectly solid the entire time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac examined the claw marks in the desk for what felt like the dozenth time. They were huge, spaced too far apart for any human besides a basketball player, maybe. Curls of wood had been gouged out as easily as with a chisel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He growled in frustration and stalked out. This was getting him nowhere. There was nothing useful in this room.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Back at the station, he ground through the never-ending paperwork that came from being a cop. This wasn’t the only case he had and he couldn’t ignore the others. He couldn’t get obsessed with the Demon of San Francisco, though he already felt like he was wobbling on the edge. He couldn’t tumble into that dark place, for the sake of his family and career. He’d seen it eat good police officers before.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A couple days later, he received an email with the test results from Brock. Isaac was surprised; he hadn’t expected anything for weeks. Everything was always backed up in the lab. But, he wasn’t going to complain. He opened the email.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, everything was normal. Brock’s DNA didn’t match anything at the scene and the only foreign DNA under his nails was from lunch. There was a foreign contaminant in the saliva swab too, but Isaac was going to chalk that one up to lunch as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed deeply, slouching back in his chair and rubbing his eyes. They were dry and itchy. He felt exhausted. Ava had a fever and she had been fussy all night. He’d sat up cuddling her most of the night, only snatching catnaps here and there. Sitting back up straight, he dithered a moment before deciding it was time for coffee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The break room was empty at this point in the afternoon. The carafe of coffee was nearly empty and probably tasted burnt and stale by now. Dumping it out, Isaac set about making a fresh pot. He even washed everything first. Fancy. Coffee was the lifeblood of the station. He brewed up the fresh pot with a pinch of his secret ingredient, salt. It smoothed out the bitterness of the rather cheap coffee that they almost always got.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soon, drawn by the alluring scent of fresh coffee, a few other officers trickled in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One was one of the lab techs responsible for processing samples. Isaac picked up his mug and walked over to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Trish. I didn’t think we were that slow. You got the Brock samples done really fast. Thanks for that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whatever reaction he had been expecting was not the one he received. A shifty, uncomfortable look passed over the woman’s face. His police instincts immediately kicked in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So we’ve been told to give anything related to the Demon high priority.” she blurted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why? From who? The Demon cases never get priority. They just rot at the back of the line.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Inspector Buckner came to me. He said the chief told him. We were told not to make a big deal about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isacc’s mouth tightened. “Guess I’d better go talk to the chief.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking his steaming mug with him, he padded down the halls to Chief Williams’s office. He could hear the faint drone of him talking on the other side. Isaac rapped on the door with his knuckles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come in.” the chief called.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac opened the door. The bigger man quickly finished his phone call and asked, “What’s up, Lieutenant Kwan? Ooh, is that fresh coffee?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but I just heard the lab techs were told to give the Demon cases high priority? When did this happen?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah. Yesterday. We were supposed to let you know. We’re going to give a bunch of your active cases to other officers so you can put more energy into that one. I think I forgot to hit send on your email.” He half turned away, frowning at his computer with the air of someone who generally mistrusted technology.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not that I don’t appreciate it, but why? I’ve had to investigate these on my own time.” He took a sip of coffee, watching the chief’s face over the rim of the mug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We received a donation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isacc’s brows snapped together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The chief sighed and leaned closer. “Shut the door, please?” He waited until it clicked shut before continuing. “Zöe Parnell’s family gave us a donation because we are on the case figuring out what exactly murdered her. They want us to get to the bottom of it and catch the Demon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought she didn’t have family here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what I thought too, but they said they were her cousins or some shit like that. Everything looked all right and correct to me. They were very generous.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So they bribed us.” Isaac replied bluntly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was a donation. But…” He gestured awkwardly. “It’s basically a bribe. We need it though, after the latest cuts.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac was stuck in a quandary. His idealism screamed that giving more attention to this case now would be wrong, tainted. But his practical side hissed that this was exactly what he needed. Now the Demon was being taken seriously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chief Williams could see Isaac’s warring emotions and said, “You know I try and keep the force clear of this kind of thing, but this is coming from wealthy people, not criminals. It’s for a good cause. You’ve been on my ass for months to give more attention to this thing. Well, we can now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac’s mouth worked as he tried to think of a good rebuttal against this bit of corruption.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. You’re on the Demon cases full time now. There is a team assigned to work on it with you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you sir.” he finally replied. “I’ll get on it right away.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The team wasn’t huge, but it was something. It would be good to have some other brains working on this; they might pick something up he missed. They were generally good cops, though there were two he wasn’t too jazzed to have working for him. One was Inspector Chad Buckner, who he suspected was one of the station’s dirty cops. He always managed to squirm out of anything he was accused of though. The other was Sergeant Tanith Mcleod. She generally did good work, but there had been rumours that the reason she’d transferred here was that she’d used a bit more force than necessary on a few too many suspects.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac arranged for them to go over the previous cases involving the Demon. They could start calling people who had seen </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> and get more data on the attacks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac placed two plain clothes officers in the Demon’s favourite haunts to patrol. They weren’t to engage if they spotted it, but Isaac needed them to get clear footage of it and to try and figure out where it came from and where it went. He needed to know its motivations, other than eating criminals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lastly he got his final person, a lab tech, to scour the Demon’s previous victims for anything they could find. There had to be some sort of forensic evidence there. There had to.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you to all who comment! You make me squee.<br/>I can't wait for the Venom sequel to come out and rejuvenate this fandom. We're gonna be able to read so many great fics!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: Most of this chapter is smut. Eddie begs Venom to stop at one point, but he's into it and chooses not to signal that he actually wants it to stop.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 6</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie and Venom spent the day driving around, exploring the various towns that ringed Lake Tahoe. They used the guise of sight-seeing to gather some intel on the Shiptons and learn the roads leading to and from their home. They lived in the most expensive area, a place called Incline Village. It was just over the border into Nevada. It was heavily treed, with narrow, shaded streets. Winking between the pine trees, Eddie could see homes that varied between luxurious cabins to sprawling mansions. Many of the properties were fenced off and some even had guard houses built at the end of their immaculately paved driveways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Incline Village was a lot less twee than most of the towns. Eddie supposed the wealthy residents paid city developers to keep things quiet and minimally touristy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They continued their drive around the huge lake. It was another glorious, warm day. Lots of other people seemed to be out enjoying the weather. He saw plenty of luxury cars out, ones that cost more than he made in a year. There was a smattering of a lot older and well-used cars too, filled with teenagers blaring their favourite music.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie passed one rust-scabbed Pontiac. Four teenagers lolled inside, arms hanging out. They heard the roar of the Scrambler and looked back. In his helmet, Eddie grinned and decided to show off a little. He popped the clutch, then cranked the throttle and lifted it into a wheelie. He zipped past on his rear wheel.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Keep going!</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He held it as long as he could, then squeezed the rear brake to drop back down.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Fun! More! Let's do more tricks!</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Having exhausted the number of stunts he could do on the bike, they stopped at a local barbecue joint. They ordered the combo plate, an awe inspiring assortment of sausage, brisket, ribs and smoked chicken with a side of macaroni salad, waffle cut fries and a dill pickle the size of a banana.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even with his jacked-up metabolism, it was almost too much for him. He leaned back in the booth with a sigh, surreptitiously undoing the button of his jeans. He people watched for a while until the enormous meal settled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, with evening setting in, they decided to head back to Dan's cabin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once inside, Eddie hung his helmet and jacket up on a hook near the door, stretching. He thought about seeing if Venom would want to mask up later and go explore the woods when his eyes settled on the sturdy beams crossing over the living room area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hmm…"</span>
</p><p>
  <b>What?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, babe… there's something I've always wanted to try."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>What is it?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've never lived anywhere that I could do it in and I was never brave enough to really get into the scene… But back when we first bonded and I was still kind of messed up, you stuck me to the wall in the alley."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Yes…?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've always wanted to try suspension bondage."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Interesting…</b>
  <span> they purred, curling tendrils out and around Eddie's throat and wrists. </span>
  <b>What do you want to try?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Let's look at some positions." Eddie replied, heart quickening in excitement. He brought his wrist up to his mouth and kissed the tendril mixed in amongst his bracelets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom pulled out Eddie's phone and started searching as their host sat on the couch. They scrolled through the myriads of different positions, knots and harnesses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, that one looks fun."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Why not pick a few? I won't need to let you down and readjust different knots and holds like a human using rope would.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"O-okay." he replied, cheeks warming.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>What else would you like to do, sweet Eddie?</b>
  <span> Venom asked, their deep voice growing commanding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, um, y'know… whatever you want?"</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Hmm… I think you should tell me.</b>
  <span> They formed a head. </span>
  <b>"I would like to know </b>
  <b>
    <em>all</em>
  </b>
  <b> the sick things your </b>
  <b>
    <em>twisted</em>
  </b>
  <b> little mind is fantasizing about."</b>
  <span> They licked his ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite all the kinky shit he and Venom had gotten up to, actually voicing it still made his face heat. "Well, let's try this position to start. I, um, would like you to leave me like that for a while, while you touch me all over."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"And then?"</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He licked his lips. His pants felt a lot tighter than they had a few minutes ago. "Hit me, mark me. Make me yours."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Delicious."</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Tease me. Don't let me come too fast. I want to make this last. Then I want you to fuck my ass until I scream. Keep going. Make me come as many times as you can. Torture me."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Anything you don't want? Safeword?"</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"N-no, I trust you. Just the normal hard limits."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Let's get ready then."</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They started by moving the couch and rug out of the way, then closed the curtains tightly. Eddie really didn't want someone walking by the front to look through the window and get an eyeful. Venom also insisted on unhooking the mirror from the bathroom and positioning it on a chair in front of where they were going to have the scene. They placed the bottle of lube nearby for easy access.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For aftercare, once they were done, they brought out a blanket, a glass of water, a bar of chocolate and some strawberries, positioning them on the couch and side table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>"Undress yourself."</b>
  <span> Venom commanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hands trembling slightly in anticipation, Eddie stripped, folding his clothes on the floor. By now he was fully hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom's head wove around him as they looked him over appreciatively. </span>
  <b>"Kneel."</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie dropped to his knees with a thump. He rested his hands on his thighs. A tendril tipped his head up for a kiss, all tooth and tongue. It left him gasping, lips swollen.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Put your arms behind your back, one over the other."</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie did as he was told. Slowly, blood warm tendrils twined around his wrists and forearms. More wrapped around his chest in a sturdy harness. He looked up to see a tentacle stretching up to the beam above him. It wrapped securely around it three times and began to shorten, pulling him upright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom ducked in to kiss him again. They pulled their tongue languid and slow from his throat, trailing the tip down over his jaw. They licked a chilly trail over the pulse-point on his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie shuddered, eyes closing.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Desperate so soon. This is too easy. Such a slut. Lift your left leg up and place your foot against your inner thigh."</b>
</p><p>
  <span>His leg was secured in an inky web. The tentacle stretching to the beam shortened until he barely stood on his tip-toe, muscles in tension.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Now, sweet, perfect Eddie. You must keep your eyes shut until I tell you. Open them and I punish you. Understood?"</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tentacle whipped out across his ass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Aah!"</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Answer me."</b>
  <span> the symbiote thundered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes. I understand."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"You understand who?"</b>
  <span> They struck him again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Venom! I understand, Venom!"</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Gooood…"</b>
  <span> they growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie felt Venom begin to touch him, dragging tentacles over his skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Up his leg, over his ass, cupping one cheek and exploring into the cleft, then up his back. They worked up through his hair, rubbing his scalp luxuriously, then contracted sharply and yanked his head back. He gasped. More tendrils traced his throat. Down over his heaving chest, then his belly, giving a playful squeeze to the slight love handles over his hips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chuckling, Venom completely avoided Eddie's straining cock, feather-soft tendrils </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but not quite touching it, curling through his pubic hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie whined, wobbling in his precarious position. He contemplated opening his eyes, just to see what his punishment would be. But in the end, he decided to be a good boy instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now the tendrils started back up again from his leg, mapping every inch of his body, except now Venom's tongue and teeth occasionally joined in, marking the tenderest patches of skin </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost</span>
  </em>
  <span> hard enough to draw blood. They passed their warm, wet tongue over the bite marks.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Ready for more?"</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes! Please, please more, Venom."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They rested a whip-thin tendril across Eddie’s ass. </span>
  <b>"I will strike you fifteen times. Count for me.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie shuddered in anticipation and replied, “Yes, Venom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tendril lifted away. There was a brief pause, then Venom snapped it down over his ass cheeks. At first there was no pain, only the slap of the blow. Then the line across his ass felt cold before it abruptly flipped into red-hot fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Again and again Venom whipped his ass, laying burning lines across each other. Eddie choked out each number as they came. He jerked with each blow, struggling to keep standing, struggling to keep his eyes shut tight. His cock was painfully hard now, dripping. He wasn’t screaming yet, just grunting and moaning with each new stripe.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Two more. You can do it, Eddie. You are such a good boy. So strong to take each strike.”</b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Crack</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “F-fourteen!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Crack</span>
  </em>
  <span>! The last hit was the hardest yet. “Fifteen!” Eddie yelped, struggling and twisting against his bonds.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“How was that, sweet Eddie?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“G-good. So good.” he slurred, a rush of endorphins deadening the whip marks. His ass felt like it must be glowing, it was so hot, pulsing with every frantic beat of his heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“You can open your eyes.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He did and could see himself in the mirror. He was sweaty and flushed, eyes blown dark. Above and behind him hovered Venom’s head, grinning like a shark. They reached down and grabbed his balls tightly. Eddie gasped and whined in pain, writhing. Then Venom loosened their grip and curled a part of themself around his cock, stroking and squeezing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit…” he moaned, eyes rolling back. Heat grew in his groin, throbbing.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Feel good?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, oh yes…" he panted. Then his eyes snapped open. "Wait! Oh fuck, wait! Stop!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was too late. Eddie shuddered and moaned, coming in white streaks all over the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry sorry… I didn’t mean to.” he gasped, sagging against the black ropes holding him.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“It happens. This means I get to try </b>
  <b>
    <em>this</em>
  </b>
  <b>.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a fluttering sensation, deep inside his lower abdomen. He twitched violently. It felt strange and invasive, but a moment later it seemed to have the desired effect. His cock began to fill with blood again.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“I knew I would figure out how to do that eventually!”</b>
  <span> Venom crowed triumphantly. Their grin, already huge, widened. </span>
  <b>“Going to have a lot of fun with you, Eddie.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh shit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie was in a new position now, full suspension. His arms were still behind his back. His legs were tied bent and held apart, leaving him terribly exposed, back arched, belly facing the floor. The tentacles holding him up bit into his flesh punishingly. Venom was still busy marking him. There was a bite mark encircling each nipple, more on his throat and shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>sobbed</span>
  </em>
  <span> as Venom mostly released their teeth from his inner thigh, dragging them along the soft flesh, leaving red welts behind. More pre-come dripped from his cock as he shook from mingled pain and pleasure. It would be almost impossible for him to come accidentally again; his other had wrapped tightly around his cock and balls, stretching his delicate testicles away from his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Holy shit, V. Do that again." he gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"As you wish…"</b>
  <span> the symbiote purred, swiveling their head and biting down on Eddie's other thigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie made a </span>
  <em>
    <span>filthy</span>
  </em>
  <span> noise and his cock twitched, a fresh bead of pre-come forming at the tip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom dipped their head further between Eddie's legs, extending their long, prehensile tongue out to wrap around his cock. They writhed it around the dark pink organ as Eddie shook and moaned, bringing him to the brink before retracting it back into their mouth. The tongue's rough surface dragged over his balls, over his taint and hole and up through his ass crack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They slapped his welt-covered ass hard enough to make him yell.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"What do you think? Should I fill you up? Give you a good fucking? Or should I tease you some more?"</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't… I don't know if I can't take much more…"</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"No?"</b>
  <span> they asked, face leering in a wicked smile. </span>
  <b>"Maybe just a bit more…"</b>
  <span> Claws dragged up his sides, leaving thin lines of scarlet behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie screamed and thrashed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They pinched his nipples. </span>
  <b>"I think maybe now you are ready."</b>
  <span> Venom said, reaching for the bottle of lube. They squeezed a blob out onto his puckered entrance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie twitched from the cold, then moaned breathily as the symbiote began rubbing his hole.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They watched him relax a bit, then began pushing a blunt tendril into him. They kept it on the smaller side. Eddie had taken a lot of pain already, endorphins singing through his veins, making Venom feel a little spinny. It was delicious. They had closed their bond a bit so they could keep a clear enough head to keep playing with their host.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, fuck yes!" Eddie cried, hips twitching, as he tried in vain to push back onto the tentacle. It felt so good to finally get filled. He'd been </span>
  <em>
    <span>aching</span>
  </em>
  <span> for it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom swelled it, just until they could feel the perfect amount of stretch from Eddie. They started to thrust with it, slowly at first, but gaining speed as his hole loosened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie started making </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful</span>
  </em>
  <span> noises as Venom gave him a good fucking. His cock was dripping heavily into the floor. The pleasure had built to almost unbearable levels already by the edging Venom had put Eddie through. Now it was a heaviness in his abdomen, fiery hot. His toes curled and clenched, he tensed as he felt the wave building, then-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom stopped, pulling the tentacle away from Eddie's prostate and tightening the cock ring they had made for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No! No keep going please babe, please… I need to come so fucking badly…" he begged.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Already had one orgasm. Told me to tease you."</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Please…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Venom waited until the impending orgasm faded before they started fucking into Eddie's ass. They stretched the tentacle thicker, drawing out a desperate moan from their host.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kiss me, Venom."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They leaned in, tongue curling into Eddie's open mouth, twining with his much shorter one. Venom rumbled in pleasure as Eddie began sucking on their tongue. It felt good. Eddie was being such a good slut for them. The symbiote supposed he deserved a reward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pulling free, they moved to his straining cock and wrapped it up in their writhing tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, yes, yes… oh fuck </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>-" Eddie cried out as every muscle in his body clenched tight and he tipped over into orgasm. His vision briefly went white as he came harder than he ever remembered coming before. He didn't even scream at first, mouth stretched into a silent howl, eyes rolled back in their sockets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom shook and quivered, but didn't fall apart. They had closed their bond enough that the wave of sweet sensation didn't send them reeling. They fucked Eddie through his orgasm, licking up the cum that he pumped out of his balls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The symbiote grinned cruelly as Eddie's ecstatic moans turned into whimpers, then into screams as they turned pleasure into torture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Aah! No, no… Stop! It hurts!" He flailed and writhed against his bonds. He screamed again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The symbiote was deaf to his pleas. Eddie didn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>taste</span>
  </em>
  <span> actually distressed. Not in a way that meant he wasn't enjoying himself. If he </span>
  <em>
    <span>stopped</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanting this, Venom would know nearly instantly. It had happened before, but by now they could play his overstimulated nerves like a violin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears and drool joined the fluids already on the floor by the time Venom decided Eddie had enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stopped, listening to his ragged breath, aftershocks still traveling through their bond.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Drunk on the sweet chemicals, Venom leered at Eddie. </span>
  <b>"Ready to go again?"</b>
  <span> they asked as they reached inside him to remove his refractory period again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh fuck, I think I'll pass out…"</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"I'm not hearing a no…" </b>
  <span>they said in a sing-song voice, switching Eddie's position.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>An hour and a half later, they slowly lowered the </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrecked</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eddie to the filthy floor. There were streaks of cum, drops of sweat, saliva, tears, lube and spatters of blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie was quivering still from the aftershocks of his fifth earthshaking orgasm. He'd passed out briefly and nearly forgotten to breathe. His hole clenched uselessly around nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of Venom slipped loose from the beam and fell with a splat on top of Eddie. They oozed out over his skin dreamily. They'd opened up their bond wide and let all of the delicious chemicals swamp them at once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie slowly got to his hands and knees, crawling to the couch. He dragged the blanket over them both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Holy shit, babe…" he rasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All he got in reply was a dizzy wave of glee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're super fucked up right now, aren't you?" He gave a weary laugh. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm</span>
  </em>
  <span> super fucked up right now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie looked like an absolute </span>
  <em>
    <span>mess</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His dark hair was completely plastered to his forehead with sweat. His eyes were swollen from crying. Venom had marked him heavily; welts, scratches, rope marks and bite marks littered his skin. His cock was so oversensitive right now he thought he'd start screaming all over again if something touched it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt completely fucked out. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> liked suspension bondage. He thought the normal loss of control was good, but this was like ten times better. Eddie gave a little laugh again, he was so high on endorphins right now he thought he might float away. He felt like such a slut. The mirror they had set up had made the whole thing feel even filthier. Watching Venom stretch out his asshole or torture him post orgasm… Just wow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom's slow melting gained a little purpose as they began settling over wounds and healing them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie whispered, "Leave me something to remind me later. Please babe."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Yessss, Eddie. Gonna fix the ressst though…</b>
  <span> they slurred.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The healing felt like a gentle body rub, soothing his exhausted mind and body. He dozed off for a few minutes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom eventually woke him, feeling more clear-headed. They coaxed him to eat the snacks they had set out, placing each morsel on his tongue themself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie's brain was so quiet. He was sleepy and pliant, still feeling high. He felt like he was floating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they decided he had eaten and drunk enough, they settled in close.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>How was it?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mmm… amazing… it was so intense."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Not too much?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Fuck no. You just made me keep taking more. Felt awesome. Didn't know I could take that much." He let his head tip back, fingers tracing the scabbed tooth marks around his left nipple.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>You are so perfect, Eddie.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled. "Dibs out on cleaning this mess up though."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you to all my commenters; you make me write faster.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Corporate Exploitation of Affection Day! Here's two dumbasses in love.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 7</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be afraid of the fire, babe. It’s perfectly safe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom rippled within Eddie nervously. </span>
  <b>Fire is dangerous.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it can be, but it’s also useful. It’s in the fireplace. It’s fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Fire can kill me, Eddie.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fire can kill me too, but I’ll have you know that my species has been using it for eighty thousand years. Maybe more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Eddie. I am older than your entire species and fire could kill me the entire time. We have existed perfectly fine without it for millions of years.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> species has never invented this before. Just ease up a little. It’s on a stick. We don’t have to get too close.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reluctantly, the symbiote lowered their tight hold over their host’s muscles, letting him extend the metal stick to the licking orange flames. It was madness that humans still chose to invite fire into their very homes, when they now had much safer means of heating and cooking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie was concentrating intently, slowly rotating the stick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom manifested a head, smaller than normal, watching warily from behind Eddie’s shoulder. The small, white object on the stick erupted into flames.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck…!” Eddie yelped, bringing it horrifyingly close to his face to blow out the flames.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“EDDIE!”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, love. I saved it. It’ll still taste good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Chocolate is perfectly good on its own. Why are you adding burnt goo and crackers to it?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie grinned, carefully maneuvering the marshmallow off the stick and in between said chocolate and graham crackers. Propping the stick up against the fireplace, he settled back on his haunches to eat the s’more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom’s skepticism immediately evaporated. Their opalescent eyes widened. </span>
  <b>“Eddie! Delicious!”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Told you so.” he mumbled thickly around the sweet treat.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Make another! Eat more!”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Half a bag of marshmallows, most of a box of graham crackers and two chocolate bars later, Eddie and Venom were comfortably settled on the worn couch, watching the dancing flames. It wasn’t really cold enough to need a fire yet, especially not with their metabolism, but Eddie like it. There was some ancient part of him that enjoyed watching the open flames. It lulled his mind into calmness. That and Venom seemed to have accepted the fire. Their fear and stress was no longer flowing through their bond. Instead, Venom was relaxed, spooled out over his lap and around his shoulders. Eddie was dreamily kneading the amorphous black blob, who hummed happily.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>This is nice. Warm.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie dozed a little, stuffed full of sugar. He was comfortable, his head tipped over the back of the couch and he snored once in a while, fighting briefly awake several times before falling asleep for good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom found the rasping, gasping noises objectionable, but instead of poking their host awake, they found the troublesome flap of flesh in his soft palate and prevented it from sliding back and blocking his airway. Then they settled back down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fire still made them nervous, making them think back to the terrible explosion where most of their body had been crisped up and destroyed. However, they couldn’t deny that the heat and gentle crackling was soothing. They formed eyes in the shapeless blob spread out over Eddie’s lap, watching as the licking flames died down to deep orange coals, laced without and within in black. They would trust this tamed fire if Eddie did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom let Eddie sleep for a while, until the fire was dead. It was getting late now. They dragged his phone closer to peer at the time. 12:37. While it was nice to cuddle together, Eddie and Venom had plans for the night. They sank back under their host’s skin and prodded Eddie in the ribs from the inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmph?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>It’s time to go.</b>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie scrubbed his hands over his face, sucking in a deep breath, then stretched with a grunt. All his muscles were in sweet tension, then he relaxed, slumping bonelessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Let’s get ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Yes, Eddie.</b>
  <span> Venom rumbled eagerly. They couldn’t wait to head out tonight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie left his phone by the couch after consulting Google Maps, double checking the area. He didn’t search for a particular place. He wasn’t that stupid. A notebook and pencil went in his pocket. Seizing the keys for the Scrambler and swinging his leather jacket on, they walked out into the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was cool outside, crisp even. The whisper of autumn was carried on the wind. Despite that, insects were still chirping in the surrounding piney woods. It smelled good compared to the funk of San Francisco. He was a city boy at heart, but this was nice to visit, Eddie decided suddenly. Maybe they could enjoy it another time, when they weren’t hunting bad guys, though that had its own fierce pleasure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked into the backyard, cramming his helmet on, keeping the tinted visor up. He grabbed the handles of the motorcycle, giving it a little shove to get it off the kickstand. Wheeling it out front, Eddie straddled the bike and turned it on, giving an experimental twist of the throttle. It revved obediently. Kicking off, they accelerated into the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Shiptons lived in the wealthiest neighborhood of all the towns surrounding Lake Tahoe. It didn’t take terribly long to get to Incline Village, but Eddie didn’t want to drive right up to their opulent front gates to park the Scrambler.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ditched it in some scrub they'd spotted before, about a mile away, dragging branches over it to hide it from prying eyes. They would come back afterwards to get it.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Ready, Eddie?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“You betcha, V.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His other rippled inside him and poured out over his skin like warm molasses. Eddie’s senses sharpened as the symbiote enveloped his head. His night vision, already supernaturally good, grew even better, his field of view expanding. Sounds sharpened and amplified. They tasted the breeze, flexing their claws in the sandy earth. Bunching their powerful thighs under them, Venom bounded off into the night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They explored the perimeter of the property. They'd only driven past it before, a quick glimpse through the trees. It was sprawling and backed onto Lake Tahoe itself. It was carefully landscaped to make it look like a rustic cabin plonked artlessly into the woods, everything perfect and natural, the kind of look that was only possible because of a small legion of full-time gardeners. The ‘rustic cabin’ was in actuality, a fucking gigantic 5000+ square foot, three story log cabin with an attached four car garage, a gazebo that could fit a small orchestra and matching boathouse and private dock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The whole estate was fenced in, just like most of the others in this opulently rich neighborhood. The fence was topped in ornamental but very sharp iron spikes. Perched high up in a sturdy pine across the street, Venom watched as the third set of guards made their rounds.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“They are very paranoid.”</b>
  <span> Venom rumbled softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, I mean we are out to kill them, so it would be perfectly justified, if they actually knew that.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>“So what do we do? Ask them for an interview?”</b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No, that’ll never work. I don’t think we should try that one again for a long while, maybe never again.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eddie thought for a few moments. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Really, I think the best way is to just watch the guards, learn their pattern, figure out where the security system is, get in, eat them and get back out as quickly as we can.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>“Boring.”</b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, do you have any better suggestions?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The symbiote hummed thoughtfully. </span>
  <b>“Seduce them.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie snorted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I said better ideas, dingus.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom, who had been securely sitting on a branch, relaxed their grip just enough so that they tipped forwards, switching from hanging on with their claws to a tentacle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inside, Eddie screamed and fought unsuccessfully for control. </span>
  <em>
    <span>V, what the fuck?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They swung gently back and forth under the branch, upside down. The symbiote grinned, chuckling. They kicked out so they rotated to face the Shipton’s mansion again.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You told me we were going to be careful up the tree! That’s why I agreed!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>“Relax, sweet Eddie. I have us. You have to trust me. This is nice.”</b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is not nice; we’re dangling head first off a branch! We’re forty feet up!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>“I trusted you with the fire tonight. Trust me on this. If we fall, I will catch us. Even if I don’t, we will not die.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie struggled to get his fear under control. V was right. If anything happened to him, his other would just heal him back up again. He was normally pretty good with heights now, but dangling head first was a little much. He forced himself to relax and turned his attention back outwards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet another set of guards was pacing the grounds. He knew rich people were paranoid, but this was ridiculous. However, they soon saw the first two goons. Venom decided to chance it. The guard schedule was pretty regular.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They swung out a tentacle, wrapping it firmly around a branch on a tree on the far side of the road. They let go and swung across the street. At the end of the arc they extended another tentacle, swinging closer to the house. This time, they let go, flying through the air directly at the roof. Before they struck, they shot out two more tentacles, catching themselves, dangling above the roof. Slowly, delicately, their clawed feet touched down on the cedar shake roof, dainty as you please.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie's heart was pounding after the acrobatics, adrenaline surging through his veins. But they were okay and no alarms were going off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom dropped to all fours and prowled across the roof, looking for a way in. Three balcony doors proved to be locked and alarmed, but they found an attic window that was perched up on an otherwise empty wall that did not have the tell-tale wires.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They flipped over, clinging to the wall and began extruding a fine tendril around the seal of the glass, working it towards the latch. It was fiddly, delicate work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crunching footsteps on pine needles grew closer. The hulking symbiote froze, flattening to the side of the house. They narrowed their eyes, watching two guards stump by below them. They were dressed all in black, wearing combat boots, bullet proof vest, the works. They were currently wielding heavy flashlights, but strapped to their hips were decidedly oversized pistols. Venom looked closer. Probably Desert Eagles, guaranteed to blow a hole in your enemy the size of your fist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the armed guards passed, they finished opening the window. It was too tight a fit for Venom's full form, so they retracted almost entirely into Eddie, who climbed through, then masked up again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They looked around the attic. It was very clean. There were a few trunks stacked against the far wall, but otherwise there was nothing else. The attic door was locked, but from the other side so it wasn't a barrier to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The house smelled of wood polish and expensive leather furniture. It was decorated to resemble an old rich man's hunting lodge. The floors were gleaming hardwood, with handwoven wool rugs to keep the chill off your feet. Original works of art and deer antlers decorated the walls. Inside Venom, Eddie felt ten times scruffier than usual. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>screamed</span>
  </em>
  <span> money in here. Anne and Dan were what he considered pretty rich, but their entire bank account couldn't even buy a wing of this mansion.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>These people deserve to get eaten.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>At least Anne and Dan had earned their money. No one got this rich by hard work. All Eddie could think of was how these loaded motherfuckers had preyed on so many homeless people just to inflate their already bloated bank accounts further and come out of it looking like heroes. You couldn't be heroes with the number of skeletons the Shiptons had tucked into their spacious closets. Eddie couldn't allow it. They were going down tonight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Most of the mansion was dark and still, but as they crept down another hallway they could see light and hear the murmur of voices through a partially shut door. With their heightened senses they could feel that there were more than two people in that room. The Shiptons had guests over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom retreated into an office they'd passed to think. They hadn't seen any vehicles parked out front, but with that massive garage that didn't mean anything. What to do? They'd already spent a couple days casing the joint. Eddie didn't want to risk losing this opportunity for vengeance.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>They didn't feel like normal people. Could smell gunpowder. Maybe more guards?</b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe. But then why are they talking to the Shiptons?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>Normal reasons?</b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>People like them usually don't talk to the help unless they have to. Let's wait a while and see what happens.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They hunkered down in the dark room, listening to the murmurs of conversation and the barks of laughter. Finally, after what felt like ages, the door swung open the rest of the way, flooding the hall with light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom narrowed their pale eyes as the office brightened somewhat. Hopefully no one would look in. Their powerful form was… kind of obvious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three guards walked past followed by a woman. In the brief moment she was visible from the door Venom saw it was Rebecca Shipton. The light stayed on in the other room. There were still a couple people in there.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Hungry…</b>
  <span> Venom muttered silently. </span>
  <b>Let's risk it. These guards work for the Shiptons. They are probably bad people too.</b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We can't assume that. Everyone needs a paycheque.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>They could work for people that didn't torture me instead.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie's gut clenched at that. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We'll give them a choice. They can choose if being loyal to a paycheque is more important than their life.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom nodded and stood. They stepped over to the wall that divided the rooms. The interior walls were mostly not made out of logs. They were ordinary studs and drywall. The symbiote briefly ran a hand over the wall, then stepped back, gave a roll of their great shoulders and charged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wall shattered before them, splinters and chunks of drywall flying. A light sconce swung wildly until they tore it off its wires. With a snarl, Venom shrugged off the debris and fixed their gaze on the room's occupants.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guard nearly jumped out of his skin, fumbling the draw on his gun and leaping away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marc Shipton stayed sitting. He looked merely annoyed, like huge black monsters that came bursting through the wall was a regular but vexing occurrence.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Get out of here now or die with your master, morsel!"</b>
  <span> Venom boomed, determined to send this interaction back on track.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hold your ground. I was wondering when you would show up." Marc Shipton said mildly, plucking a piece of drywall off his lap.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that didn't go as they expected it to. Eat the rich! If you can't eat them, eat s'mores.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: Violence and cannibalism.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 8</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>"What?"</b>
  <span> Venom blurted, straightening up a little from their ready crouch, letting their massive hands drop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I said I was wondering when you would get here."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"How… What?"</b>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh dear. Has the symbiote caused brain damage?" Marc said with a small smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"No!"</b>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The guard managed to recover enough to drop into a proper firing stance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom snarled at him and watched the blood drain from his face. At least </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> was going right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"What do you mean you were waiting for us to show up?"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, after several of our acquaintances disappeared my wife and I got suspicious, but it wasn't until you killed poor Zöe that we knew." He shrugged. "Figured it was only a matter of time. We've been waiting for you nearly every night since."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom puffed up their chest and said in their most sinister growl, </span>
  <b>"It is time for you to die for what you did to me."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, no. You see, my wife and I don't intend for that to happen. Hello, dear."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They twisted their head slightly, seeing Rebecca and a whole group of guards arrive at the doorway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She said with a smirk, "Marc and I didn't have a lot of time to get ready, but we did what we could." Rebecca held a Bluetooth speaker.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a small rustle as Marc pulled an identical one out from the seat cushions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So why don't you come quietly and that way Marc and I won't need to use these on you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, no. That's not going to happen. Ready, V?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Copy.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A scant few feet separated Venom from Marc Shipton. They leaped, bowling him over in his chair. His cockiness evaporated instantly, replaced by terror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Your speaker! Turn your fucking speaker on!" shrieked his wife.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Teeth sank into the delicate skin of Marc's neck. The angle meant it wasn't an easy snap of their jaws. Their prey screamed and pounded his fists on their shoulders and head as they worked their mouth over his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The guard fired his pistol into Venom's back. The gigantic pistol's retort was sharp and painful, but not as painful as the bullet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom screamed, spasming, accidentally ripping Marc's neck and scalp open as they jerked. While they could shrug off pretty much any gunfire they had encountered so far, the Desert Eagle at that range actually managed to pierce Venom's thick hide. It felt like Eddie had been punched in the kidney. They swung out a tentacle from their arm, flattening the guard against the wall in a crunch of drywall. Then they were hit with a screech from Rebecca's speaker. They screamed again, form shivering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's right!" Rebecca snarled. "How do you like it?!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They dragged themself towards her, the black of the symbiote melting and shredding away, trying to retreat into the safety of Eddie, but there was no escaping the sound. They shivered out of his skin as fast as they retreated inside. It felt like someone was ripping a bandaid off, but taking his skin with it. He screamed, tasting blood in the back of his throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rebecca stepped back as Eddie reached for her, tears streaming down his cheeks. The little Bluetooth speaker didn't have the same kind of power as loudspeakers on the rocket launch platform, but it fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Behind them, Marc Shipton who had previously been moaning, half-conscious, tried to get up and wailed in agony. His scalp was ripped open from the nape of his neck to his forehead and was bleeding heavily, as scalp wounds did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Marc!" Rebecca cried, her attention flickering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was all Eddie needed. With a last burst of effort he threw himself at her legs. Rebecca went down, speaker flying to crack against the floor. The screech choked off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She screamed and kicked Eddie in the face as the black symbiote regrouped and flowed over him, pseudopods grasping desperately to his flesh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom stood back up as she scrambled away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Let's finish him off and the guard and then go after her.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Yes. We need brains. They hurt us. She will </b>
  <b>
    <em>pay</em>
  </b>
  <b> for that!"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They pounced on Marc Shipton, grabbing him by the shoulders and stretching their maw over his head. Their victim barely fought, going into shock.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The guard was motionless, dying on the floor. His skull had cracked open when he had been knocked away by Venom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They drooled, their thick, scarlet tongue twisting. They could taste a hint of the guard's brains in the air. Venom made quick work of their prey. The longer they dallied here, the further away Rebecca got.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom barely got more than a few feet down the hall when what seemed like half the goons that worked for the Shiptons piled into the hall in front of them. They had more of the huge pistols drawn and aimed directly at Venom's grinning face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"We have no quarrel with you, so long as you do not harm us. Leave now and you will keep your lives."</b>
  <span> Venom rumbled reasonably.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One security goon fired, the shot going wild. He was clearly not used to the kick of the weapon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Fine. We'll do it that way, then."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They surged forward, claws ripping, jaws snapping.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The symbiote paused a moment, surrounded by carnage in that hallway. They needed a moment to heal. Not all the guards had been such poor shots; they'd been struck a half dozen times. The bullets had been slowed by the symbiote, but not always stopped. Their black flesh rippled and four bullets tinked to the bloody floor. They hadn't eaten much of the guards; they had been too busy taking them down as fast as possible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bunching their powerful thighs under them, Venom leaped down the hall and around the corner. They were following Rebecca's scent as fled them. She had gone further down into the huge house, but not out. Odd.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>We had better keep an eye out for more traps.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eddie said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I bet they have more fucking speakers set up.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They hurtled down the stairs, landing with a thump that set the light fixtures tinkling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"</b>
  <span> boomed Venom, carefully pulling open another door near the staircase. Rebecca's scent was strongest there. More stairs into a basement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>So do we go down there or just wait until she gets impatient and starts sending more goons up here?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Let's go down.</b>
  <span> Venom replied silently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Are you sure that's a good idea? She might have more speakers.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie felt a shudder pass through the symbiote covering him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>No, but she knows about us. Who knows what she'll do next. Besides, the more time we wait, the more time she has to get ready.</b>
  <span> The symbiote clenched their fists, preparing themselves.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now Eddie felt actual fear trickling through their bond. Venom was scared of the possible sound traps lurking down the stairs. He was about to suggest they do something else, when Venom went ahead and leaped down the stairs anyways.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The landing wasn't large enough to accommodate their huge frame, so they crashed into the wall and used the momentum to throw themself down the last flight. They did a somersault in midair, landing in a crouch, grinning toothily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuckin' showoff.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were more guards. They didn't appreciate Venom's theatrics and just fired their guns again, the retorts deafening in the basement room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"When will you learn?! Guns cannot kill us!"</b>
  <span> they rebuked. Lashing out a tentacle, they seized one man by the leg and started swinging him around into the others before throwing him through a wall. Venom spun, another tentacle grasping a victim. They dragged him close while he screamed. Bullets peppered Venom's hide and a few struck their captured comrade. They snapped his head off cleanly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The four remaining guards retreated, still firing. Venom charged them, ripping through kevlar and canvas to flesh. Blood sprayed across the smooth dome of their head. A long tongue darted out, swiping across their eyes and face to clean off the blood. More bullets fell from their flesh to tinkle to the floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A gurgle below them. One guard was still alive and trying to drag himself away with his good arm. Venom wrapped a huge hand into the back of his jacket and hoisted him upright, jaws stretching wide as a snake’s to engulf his head. Their teeth sank easily through flesh, bone and sinew. The skull yielded to the crushing pressure of their jaws, spilling delicious brains down their throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Oh, Rebecca! Where are youuu?”</b>
  <span> the symbiote sang. </span>
  <b>“No more guards left! Whatever shall you do?”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eat shit, you freak!” she snarled from within the room before them. The little Bluetooth speakers began to screech again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before the deadly sound waves had too much effect on them, Venom hurled the headless corpse through the doorway. There was a scream within the room and a thud, followed by a series of crashes as the shelf the speakers were perched on fell over, struck by the woman. They shook themselves and strode into the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rebecca was trying to extricate herself from under the corpse, spattered in blood. They didn’t really expect a billionaire to be so… matter of fact about being pinned under the headless carcass of someone that used to work for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Bulk ordered the cheap speakers, did you? One good blow and they stop working.”</b>
  <span> Their wide white eyes scanned the room they were now in. There were some very expensive computers, a bank of servers and a large glass and metal tube that to the symbiote, was horrifyingly familiar. It was a sibling to one of the ones that they had been crammed into, off and on, for six months.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rebecca finally heaved it off herself with a growl. She scrambled up and tried to straighten her clothes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“You! You were going to try and cram me into one of those fucking tubes again?!”</b>
  <span> They seized the front of her shirt in their fist, claws ripping holes in the fabric. They hoisted her up off her feet. Rebecca struggled and kicked, far from anything they expected her to be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah! We were. That symbiote is worth </span>
  <em>
    <span>billions</span>
  </em>
  <span> to the right people.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“How dare you! We are not just some symbiote. We are alive! Would you like to be shoved, starving, into a tiny cage for months?”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rebecca spat, “You’re just an alien! Who cares what you think?” She tried to kick them in the groin. Luckily for Eddie, his groin was safely protected beneath his other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“We have eaten your husband. Think we will eat you too.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That provoked the first slightly normal reaction from the woman. She paled and screeched ferally, rage and grief contorting her face. She thrashed like a wild thing. “Go ahead! Eat me! There are more of us than you know! You’ll never be safe!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom curled their thin lips up in a snarl, drawing back their hand to rip out her throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She choked out, milliseconds before the talons descended, “Hail H-”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Stupid billionaires. Never bulk order the cheap speakers. Also, never be THAT overconfident around vengeful aliens when you have no idea how they work when they bond with people.</p>
<p>Comments give me the power to dig through even the largest of snow drifts that like to accumulate in front of my house.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: Violence, sex near the end, slight dubcon, but Eddie's into it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 9</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey! I smell smoke! V!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom lifted their head from where they had been making a meal of the dead billionaire. Their tongue, coated in gore, rolled out. They tasted an acrid trace of smoke with a hint of hot metal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Uh oh.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I think we maybe started an electrical fire when we smashed through the wall.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Eddie!”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Let’s leave before it gets worse.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They leaped over the dead guards littering the floor and scrambled up the stairs into a haze of thick grey smoke. Venom narrowed their pale eyes into slits, hissing. Terror shot through them like a bolt and their limbs locked, claws gouging deeply into the floor. They could hear the roaring crackle of flames above them, like the bellow of a great beast.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Eddie! The house is on fire! Fire!”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s okay, babe. It’s okay. It’s just the upstairs. We can get out one of the main floor windows or doors. We’re fine. I promise. Just stay low.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Within the symbiote, Eddie moved his limbs, propelling the frozen Venom into motion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“I hope you are right, Eddie.”</b>
  <span> they uttered, slinking on all fours to a likely room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Humans all, well mostly all, learn fire safety. Stay low and get out. We’re okay. I can get us out. Just close our bond a little, so your fear doesn’t swamp me. Can you do that, love?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Yes Eddie.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first room had windows too small to fit through, fitted with elegant iron fretwork. The symbiote’s terror grew. Sound was something they could face down. It was agony and would separate them from their host, but fire was worse. Fire would crisp them up and reduce them, turn them into a shadow of themself if it didn’t outright kill them. It left them so much weaker. It could kill </span>
  <em>
    <span>Eddie</span>
  </em>
  <span> and leave them no one to go back to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie didn’t have the same memories of the rocket explosion that they did. He’d gotten a concussion from the initial blast. Concussions did strange things to human brains, leaving memories fractured and warped. They’d fixed any lingering damage to his brain once they’d regrown of course, but despite that, their host still had strange memories of the final moments of the fight. Snapshots of various moments and feelings, he had explained. Eddie had more terror of the loss of Venom than of fire. Even if the alien could restore memories, they weren’t sure they would. It was good both of them weren’t panicking right now. Venom had never liked fire, obviously, but it held a new depth of fear now than it used to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time they got to a back room that had patio doors, the first thready wails of firetrucks could be heard. Venom reached up to unlatch the doors with a trembling hand, sliding them open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>See love? I got us. We’re out and we’re safe. The fire didn’t get us.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Once they were in the chilly autumn air, they broke into a wild gallop down the hill and towards the lake. On the shore’s edge they turned to look at the mansion. The upper floors were blazing, great tongues of flame stretching to the velvety night sky. Greasy black smoke snagged around the pine trees. The fire was way fucking bigger than he’d thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh fuck. I hope that doesn’t spread.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eddie said nervously. He’d lived in California long enough to know what happened when a fire got out of control in this tinder dry state. Red lights flashed through the trees as fire trucks began arriving from all directions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“Let’s get out of here. Too many people now.”</b>
  <span> Venom galloped through the mud and dove into the cold lake. They morphed their hands and feet into broad flippers, moving sleek and swift through the dark water. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few minutes, Venom was a safe distance away and surfaced to look back again. </span>
  <b>Doesn’t look like it is spreading.</b>
  <span> they replied silently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>We made a bigger mess in there than I would have liked. This is going to get a lot of attention.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A shower of sparks erupted upwards, eventually followed by a thump. Part of the roof must have fallen in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Well, neither of us knew they had anticipated us showing up. Think we did pretty well over all.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie rolled his eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, okay.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>No, really. We lived, killed both of them and destroyed all the evidence. Now we have another three days to enjoy our vacation.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Mmm… It was kind of a fucking disaster. </span>
  </em>
  <span> Eddie muttered doubtfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Let's go back to our motorcycle and then go back to Dan's cabin. Will give you an orgasm. Will help us both relax after tonight.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Getting back to where they had stashed the Scrambler was easier said than done. The police had cordoned off several roads. To Eddie's distress, that meant they had to take to the trees, swinging and leaping through them like an oversized ape. After they retrieved the motorcycle, everything went much more smoothly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite Eddie's screwed up sleep schedule, he was yawning so wide his jaw cracked when they pulled up to the cabin. The sky was lightening ever so slightly, the stars beginning to fade. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had taken the long way around to avoid any police on patrol, long enough that the adrenaline had faded, leaving only a deep weariness and lingering, jittery paranoia. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the Scrambler had been wheeled into the backyard, Venom took over, puppeting their host inside, stripping off his clothes as they went. They took him right up the stairs into the loft to pitch face first onto the worn quilt on the bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"M'too tired tonight, V."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Shhh, Eddie. Let me take care of you. You need to relax. </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Am relaxed."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>No you are not. You are so </b>
  <b>
    <em>tense</em>
  </b>
  <b>. Our muscles are like stones, our tendons like wires. </b>
  <span>They forced his shoulders down, which kept climbing towards his ears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The symbiote began to massage him, starting at his back and moving outward, smoothing away the knots both inside and out. Gradually, the sour taste of their host’s stress faded away. Eddie made endearing little grunts and moans when they released the tension from particularly tough knots.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom flipped their nude host over, working over his shoulders and pecs. Despite his insistence that he was too tired, his cock was semi-hard, just beginning to leak drops of precum.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I will take good care of you.</b>
  <span> Venom said tenderly. They gently bound Eddie up in a web of tendrils, keeping pressure up on just the right places. Sometimes they tied Eddie up because keeping him uncomfortable in a certain way was arousing to him. Sometimes it was because Eddie’s own involuntary reactions would prevent Venom from giving him the release he craved. This time it was because the loss of control and the right pressure calmed him, making the remaining stress melt away. They rippled against his skin, rubbing his nipples, swirling around his cock. They were careful to keep away from overstimulation and pain this time; it wasn’t what Eddie needed right now. Just steady touch and the knowledge that someone would take care of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie breathed hard as the sensation built, arms held together up above his head. “Aah… Holy shit, V.” he moaned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Shhh, Eddie. Relax.</b>
  <span> they replied, further enforcing that with a gentle kiss. Eddie mewled against Venom’s mouth, pressing into the kiss, his mouth opening to Venom’s tongue.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His coming orgasm was like a wave, unstoppable and inevitable. Eddie made a </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect</span>
  </em>
  <span> little whimper as he came, spattering his stomach with cum.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom felt Eddie’s brain release those delicious, intoxicating hormones. First a surge of dopamine and oxytocin, then a steady flood of serotonin and prolactin. They treasured the names for those wonderful chemicals, feeling floaty and pleasantly dizzy. Venom had needed this as much as Eddie. The symbiote relaxed as the hormones suffused their own tissue, the tendrils wrapping up Eddie melting and flowing over him, absorbing the cum on his stomach, itself filled with more delicious chemicals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Love you, V.” Eddie murmured, dragging the quilt up over them both, eyelids drooping.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Love you too, Eddie.</b>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm almost finished writing this! I'm at 48000 words, so that means it's now a novel.<br/>Thank you so much for all the comments!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 10</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, Lieutenant." called Sergeant McLeod, waving at him from across the room. "Got something very interesting you gotta see."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac glanced up from where he had been looking through listings of violent crimes over the past few days. There had been a dearth of sightings of the Demon of San Francisco, which was odd. It didn't fit the creature's pattern. It should have killed again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which… wasn't a good thing to hope for. But he didn't like this departure from the pattern.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What is it?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sauntered over, holding a freshly printed stack of paper. "Just a possible Demon incident."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac perked up. "Let me see." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She passed it over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He scanned it quickly and frowned. "This is in Lake Tahoe."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yup."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How did you get this? This isn't from our department."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>McLeod shrugged. "I know some people in the force there. I was chatting with them about this task unit. Then this morning they sent this to me. Anyways, I've got more reports to comb through."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"... Thanks." Isaac said absently. His brain was spinning and his stomach had dropped like a stone. A few days ago Eddie Brock had texted him letting him know he wasn't skipping town, but he was going on a road trip. To Lake Tahoe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His stomach dropped further when he suddenly remembered that Brock had been out of town for over a month this spring, when the Demon had also been absent. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No. No no no. Eddie was human, right? He looked completely normal. Eddie Brock was perfectly healthy and human.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Isaac was a good cop and he couldn’t ignore his hunches. Brock had said he had contracted meningitis and recovered in some fancy hospital in New York. So he looked up more information about meningitis. A few minutes googling revealed that if Brock had actually had severe enough meningitis that he had ended up in a coma, he would </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> be walking around as healthy as he had ever been.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next step was to get a warrant to gain access to his medical records. While he waited for that, he emailed the local police in Lake Tahoe, asking if they would let him have access to everything from the scene. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Getting a warrant generally only took a few hours, but because he’d been given priority, he had his in under two hours. He pulled McLeod and Buckner off reviewing old files and instead got them calling every hospital in New York, starting with the fanciest. Isaac had a strong suspicion that not only had Brock not had meningitis, he had also not been a patient at any hospital in the city that spring. He'd probably been a patient at some point when he had lived in New York before; Brock got punched a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> more than the average man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After days of very little, it felt like everything was happening at once. An hour after he'd emailed the Lake Tahoe police, they'd happily sent everything they had to him. He had hoped for video, but though the victims had a top of the line security system, the only cameras were facing the driveway, on the front door and in the boathouse. Apparently they were so paranoid they had feared the cameras getting hacked and didn't want anybody to spy on them in their own house. The carnage inside the mansion was a bit more than the Lake Tahoe police were used to. The fire marshal was still investigating the cause, but she suspected it was electrical.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While the fire had blazed high and part of the roof fell in, the fire department had worked quickly and there were over a dozen mostly intact bodies inside the mansion. Grimly, Isaac noted that several were missing heads and most of the rest had claw marks or terrible blunt trauma injuries reminiscent of when the Demon had attacked the SWAT team. Claw marks had been found on several surfaces in the mansion. The boathouse camera had caught a distant, blurry, hulking figure crashing into the water. Imprinted in the soft mud at the edge of the lake were several nice tracks too. Everything pointed towards the Demon of San Francisco striking here. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> worse than usual. Isaac had never seen a body count like this connected with the creature before. It was like it had gone berserk. Had it merely been restraining itself in the city, but once it was somewhere else, it released all those pent up urges?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now Isaac had another piece of the puzzle to figure out: If Brock and the Demon were one and the same, and evidence was increasingly pointing towards that, why had he gone all the way to Lake Tahoe to kill a billionaire couple and their security personnel? How was this connected to the other kills? Isaac began digging into the victim's histories. Maybe there would be something that linked a few together.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By the next afternoon, Isaac had found his connection. Not of most of the Demon's victims; those were typically just your average low level criminal. But he and his team had found a connection between Zöe Parnell, Rebecca and Marc Shipton, a few other dead or missing rich folk and the Life Foundation. From what he could see, they all knew each other. Billionaire friends or something. If he had more time, he could probably dig up more, but it was enough of a connection for him. He compiled a list of other living wealthy people that had a connection to them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey Buckner! I'm going to need you and McLeod to contact the rest of the people on this list. I'll send it to you. They know the victims and I have reason to believe they might be in danger. We might need them to go into protective custody."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No problem."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A new email blipped up, this one from his lab tech. She had been analyzing samples taken from previous victims that they had suspected was drool. They still had no luck in retrieving DNA from it, which was weird. But. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> found a match. Brock's cheek swab had contained the same odd blend of proteins and enzymes as the saliva. She said that she couldn't generally identify what they were, only that there was a match. They were very strange and hadn't been found in any other human saliva sample.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac sat back, his chair creaking. Okay. So it looked like Eddie Brock and the Demon of San Francisco were indeed one and the same. He still didn't know how it was possible, but he couldn't deny the evidence. There was still a day before Brock came back from Lake Tahoe to get his ducks in a row. This wasn't enough to convict him for sure, but it was enough that he could arrest him and bring him in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt like he’d been kicked in the guts. He and Brock weren’t friends, but they’d helped each other out over the years. Heck, they’d gone drinking together a few times after cases got messy and they both needed to let loose a bit. Brock was a loud mouthed jerk who was in many ways, an even bigger idealist than Isaac himself was. The journalist had a soft spot for those whom society normally viewed as objects to be kicked. He always had a kind word for the homeless and knew many by name, buying them coffee or a sandwich when he could, maybe tossing them a tenner here and there. He never dismissed them. Brock would sit down on the grubby pavement beside anyone for a friendly chat and made them feel welcome in a city that largely viewed them as a nuisance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brock had bullied and cajoled Isaac into keeping on cases that had felt unsolvable when his own superiors had tried to get him to move on and you know what? He’d even figured out a few of them, giving mourning families the closure they so desperately needed. How could Eddie Brock be a, a serial killer? But, he remembered Brock's weird behavior the last few times he had seen him; his odd skepticism and insistence that the Demon must be a hoax of some sort that flew in the face of how he would normally have acted. It wasn't that the journalist was hiding the fact he was working on a story about the Demon; it was that he was nervous that Isaac would find out the truth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And how had he not seen this?! The Demon showed up the day the Life Foundation basically ended. Eddie had been picked up out of the Bay a short distance from the destroyed rocket platform and then written more than one article about the company's horrific medical experiments. He had vanished this past spring working with the Feds on some case and the Demon had vanished too. Then there was, in hind-sight, his shoddy meningitis excuse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac clenched his fists around the arms of his chair and growled. How?! This latest Lake Tahoe thing felt like Eddie had been dangling his alter-ego in Isaac's face, laughing about it!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No. Isaac slowly drew in a breath, held it and exhaled, calming himself. He couldn't just give in to his rage. Maybe there was more to this than he thought. Maybe Eddie was trapped somehow. Maybe he was sick. Too many maybes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before the ends of their shifts that night, Isaac called the whole team together, minus the lab tech. She was there only to process samples and she'd been working long hours to get through all the old evidence so Isaac had sent her home early to rest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So we have a suspect." he announced, standing before his small team. A ripple of movement passed through them; glances, blinks, a stiffening of shoulders. "It looks as though Eddie Brock may be the murderer here. I don't know how yet, but we're going to bring him in and find out."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Brock?" blurted one of the junior officers he'd had patrolling the streets. "Like, The Brock Report Brock?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How can he be that thing? Brock was all righteous and shit. He, he always was standing up for people."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well… I don't know yet. So far, I know that he was involved in something at the Life Foundation and I think it might have… changed him somehow. Maybe the real Brock is still in there somehow. Maybe this is some sort of Jekyll and Hyde situation. What we need to do is bring him in and keep everyone else safe from him."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The junior officer flinched. "I saw the footage when the Demon took out that SWAT team. How the hell are we gonna manage to do that?!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We will. Brock gets back in town sometime tomorrow. I'll tell the chief and he'll get every police station in the city to find him. We'll try and bring him in quietly if possible, otherwise we know a little more about the Demon than that SWAT team and we will find out a way to bring him down. You're all dismissed. Go home and rest up. Keep this under your hats, okay? I don't want a panic or any vigilantes to try anything."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They filed away one by one. McLeod gave a look to Buckner as she passed him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"A word with you, Lieutenant Kwan?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac looked up from where he had been gathering up his things. "Yes, of course." he replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner said, "Can we discuss this in one of the interrogation rooms? They're more private. Number three is empty."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac frowned. "... Fine." He followed Buckner to the room, a little trepidation stirring in his guts. He couldn't forget the rumours that he was a crooked cop. However, Buckner just walked into the room and sat down on one of the hard plastic chairs that furnished it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What is it, Inspector Buckner?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Are you sure the Demon is Eddie Brock?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He blinked. "Well, as sure as I can be without either having him confess or turn into the Demon in front of me. The evidence is pointing strongly to it, certainly."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner laced his fingers together in front of him. "What if I belong to an organization that would be able to help you catch this beast?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac dragged his own chair out and sat carefully across from the Inspector.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner continued, "Let's say that this organization would like to get their hands on the Demon, or rather, would like what has made Eddie Brock the Demon."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You have information on what this thing is and you didn't bother to share it?" Isaac said icily. "Do you realize how many people have been killed?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner held up his hand placatingly. "My organization didn't share this information with me earlier. We operate on a largely need to know basis for our own safety. It was only when they suggested McLeod and I volunteer for this task group that they informed us."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't like the sound of this. What is this organization?" Isaac tilted his head to the side, eyes locked on the other man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, we've existed for a long time. We have members in nearly every major government, espionage agency, intelligence agency, police department and major corporation. While we have recently endured… setbacks, there are still thousands of us. We seek to protect humanity from itself. Largely, what all people want is to be safe and comfortable. They don't want to take the burden of responsibility. That is where we come in. We take that burden from most of humanity, to let them have happy lives, while we do the hard work.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"There are so many threats these days… From without and within. All we want to do is protect humanity. We-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, yes,” Isaac cut in. “That sounds very noble. What organization is this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner’s mouth hardened. Apparently he didn’t like his grand speech interrupted. “McLeod and I belong to Hydra.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac kept his face carefully blank. “I see. And why does Hydra want Eddie Brock?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, like I said, it’s not Brock we want. The thing that makes him the Demon is called a symbiote. The Life Foundation got several from a comet they explored. It has incredible value for... medicine. Brock doesn’t know the value of what he has. Why, we don’t even know if he’s in control of his actions. He might be trapped in his own body while the symbiote puppets him around. It's something they have the ability to do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac blanched.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hydra has the ability to capture this creature. Will you help us help you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He leaned back, keeping his expression carefully schooled. "Will you be able to do it without hurting Brock? He's… flawed, but a good man. If what you're saying is true, it may not be his fault this… symbiote is using him to commit such atrocities."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner shrugged. "It might not be possible. We're operating on limited knowledge. We can try."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac sucked in a deep breath and held it a moment before exhaling explosively. He felt suddenly out of his depth, swamped by bigger things than he had ever prepared for. He didn't know what to do. He'd grown up with tales of Captain America and the Howling Commandos and once in a while there would be news reports of strange people with powers, but nothing like the numbers now. He'd been lucky to avoid getting tangled in this strange new reality up until now and suddenly he was in it up to his ears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay. But I'll try and bring Brock in myself first."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner cleared his throat. "Begging your pardon, sir, but is that a good idea?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll try and bring him in quietly. He trusts me as much as he can trust any police officer. If that doesn't work, then I'll allow your Hydra group to assist. If they can't do it, then I will get the chief to tell the rest of the force and start a manhunt. That's my final decision."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"... Fine." Buckner eventually replied after holding Isaac's gaze a little longer than was polite.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're dismissed. Get some rest."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Riding home on BART, Isaac's stomach churned. He hadn't told the chief that they had a suspect like he was going to. Not after Buckner had come out and declared that he and McLeod were part of Hydra. What was he gonna do?! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, yes. He'd heard of Hydra. They'd been on the news a few years back, after the helicarriers had crashed over DC and Black Widow had dumped terabytes of incriminating data out into the world. The trials had cropped up in the news for a few months afterwards before the country and the news cycle moved on with unusual speed. He didn't know about them in depth; Isaac had been dating Jocelyn at the time and had been a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> preoccupied, but none of what he knew was good.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt like he was drowning. Yesterday, he'd been pretty secure on solid land and now he was plummeting rapidly into a world he didn't understand, filled with much bigger fish than he ever wanted anything to do with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay. So. Eddie Brock was very likely possessed by a flesh hungry </span>
  <em>
    <span>alien</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His police department had at least two officers that were part of a secret society of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nazis</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Said secret society would probably do something </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrible</span>
  </em>
  <span> to him or worse, Jocelyn and Ava, if he didn't cooperate in a timely manner. And he didn't know what to fear more: A cannibalistic monster or a group of Nazis bent on world domination.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket and texted Jocelyn.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>'First of all, I'm okay. Something happened at the station and we need to talk when I get home. The kind of thing I warned you about might happen. I love you and I'm on my way.'</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once he got to their apartment, he took a quick, nonchalant stroll around the building. He didn't think there was anything to worry about yet, but it was better to be safe and look like an idiot than the alternative.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everything was normal, so he climbed the stairs up. He unlocked the door, to see his wife waiting a little nervously on the couch. Ava was tucked into her car seat, fast asleep. Jocelyn stood up and quickly crossed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Everything okay?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac huffed out in bitter amusement. "Well, hopefully? It's... been a </span>
  <em>
    <span>day</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Come sit beside me and tell me about it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Walking into the living room, he saw with approval that she'd packed bags already. They sat on the couch with a squeak of leather.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So today I figured out who the Demon of San Francisco is and found out two of the people in my task group are part of a secret Nazi conspiracy who want the Demon."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stared a moment. "Okay, not how I was expecting this to go. Um, wow."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He snorted out a laugh and held her tighter. "I know. I always thought that if I had to worry about criminals threatening my family it would be a bit more mundane. And that I'd be higher up than Lieutenant."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, I guess the world is a lot weirder than it was…"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You can say that again…"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, I guess the world is a lot weirder than it was…" she said with a small grin. Then her face got serious again. "I called my brother. He's getting the guest room ready for Ava and I, so I'll head there tonight."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good. I don't know for sure if this is going to get ugly, but I want to be sure you're safe."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She touched his cheek. "You be safe too. Don't be a hero if you don't have to."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know. I'm… I don't know what to do, but I'll think of something."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know you will."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Afterwards, he said a tearful goodbye to his wife and daughter, watching her drive away from their balcony. He felt more adrift than ever before.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh shit! Eddie and Venom had better watch out!<br/>Please comment if you can; they make me dance round and round.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here's a completely self-indulgent chapter. It doesn't really have anything to do with the plot; I just wanted to write Eddie and Venom being more straightforwardly heroic. Also it was fun.<br/>Tw: Vague accusations towards pedophilia.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 11</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie crunched through a deep carpet of fallen pine needles. He was a little out of breath; they had been hiking steadily upwards for a while now. His leg muscles burned pleasantly. It was a cool, slightly cloudy day, but that suited Eddie just fine. Sweat stained the back and neck of his light shirt anyways.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jays scolded and squawked as they passed beneath. Faintly, there was the knocking of woodpeckers and the thin, reedy cry of a bald eagle. They had seen countless squirrels and a few fat, indolent marmots that shrieked in indignation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Earlier that day, they had started out hiking on a trail up to some alpine lake that was supposed to have amazing views, but Eddie had gotten tired of having mountain bikers whip past him, so he'd gone off trail. It suited them better anyways, since he could talk to his other all he wanted without getting weird looks. He figured they could find their way up anyways. All they had to do was go up, right? They'd end up reasonably close to the lake, no matter what. Eddie was sure of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom had been looking through online hiking lists while Eddie slept and had picked this one. They had decided it looked the prettiest and the length fit best into their schedule.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had started rather later than recommended and if the improvised route worked, they'd get to the look out around sunset. They didn't fear anything that might come out after dark; they were, after all, the biggest, baddest thing around.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Hope we see a bear, Eddie. </b>
  <span>Venom said for what was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> the first time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, I suppose I could grow my beard out…" muttered Eddie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a sense of question-ness through their bond.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"A bear is slang for a big, hairy gay guy. Not just an animal."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Oh yes. I have read that before. Could we go looking for a bear animal?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm not sure that's the best idea…"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Why not?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Because they are protected by law. Too many humans hunted them." He grunted as he climbed over a fallen tree still covered in branches. The trees were getting smaller and scrubbier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Well, we don't need to kill it then. Just look at it.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay. If we see a bear, we can stay a </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe</span>
  </em>
  <span> distance away and watch it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom grumbled. </span>
  <b>What if we don't see one?</b>
  <span> they asked after a moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then we don't."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Not fair!</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie shrugged, choosing to save his breath for the climb. It was getting very steep. He didn't want to track parallel to the top too far. His side tingled as Venom extruded a tendril and started rummaging through his pocket. They pulled out his phone and the tendril moved to his back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Good. Still some service up here.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What… are you, oof, looking… up?" Eddie asked breathlessly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Stuff.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie trudged upwards some more. The trees had started out pretty, but by now he was getting sick of looking at them. He hoped there would be a gap soon. He wanted some pay off for hiking so much. Alas, instead he came to a rocky cliff that extended as far as he could see in either direction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Babe, could I get a little help?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Mmm?</b>
  <span> Venom hummed as they roused from whatever had their attention. </span>
  <b>Here…</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They flowed over him and scarpered up the cliff with ease, claws unerringly finding every solid hold in the dusty, grey-brown stone. Once they reached the top, most of the symbiote retracted in, except for the ones on his back holding his phone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I've got it, Eddie.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What've you got?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>We will leave food out for the bears. They eat everything. We can put out the beef jerky in our pocket and just hunt some fresh meat tonight!</b>
  <span> They sounded very pleased with themself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie laughed. "We can't do that either. It's not allowed. The bears need to stay wild and if people feed them, they won't keep looking for their own food. Besides, we can't hunt here anyways. This is a park to keep animals safe from people."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sadness washed through their bond as Venom slid the phone back into Eddie's pocket.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's okay babe. Look ahead!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Above and to the right, a dramatic, snow-streaked peak was visible, washed in golden light from the setting sun.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Pretty.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Soon, they left the trees and then it was only a short jaunt up over a rocky rim to see the alpine lake. It was deep azure, set into a rocky bowl. The clouds were now lit in orange and pink, the far horizon purple. It was breathtaking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sat down on a convenient rock with a groan, stretching his legs out in front of him. Venom spooled out a small head to watch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Around almost the other side of the lake were a few other late hikers, taking a few last pictures before they headed back down the trail.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the colours deepened, Eddie snapped a few pictures of his own. There was no reception here, but he figured he'd send them to Anne and Dan. They'd like that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His nearly always present hunger had sharpened after their hike. Eddie dug the beef jerky out of his pockets, gnawing on the brown chunks as night fell. He got up and began sauntering along towards the trail. The snack did little to fill the pit that was his stomach. Working dried shreds out of his teeth, he thought of fresh, dripping meat, eating until his belly was stuffed. Saliva filled his mouth and he swallowed to keep from drooling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Hungry!</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, I know. I think this mountain is fresh outta bad guys, though. There's lots of food back in the cabin, so shall we start heading back down?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Yes.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The temperature had dropped as soon as the sun went down, but Eddie didn't feel a chill yet. On a whim, he scooped a few handfuls of icy water out of the lake to slake his thirst. It wasn't like he could get beaver fever anymore. It was cold and clean and tasted faintly of minerals. Delicious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they headed down the mountain into the deepening twilight, Eddie was happier than ever that Venom had given him night vision. Everything seemed painted in silver. Without it, he'd be tripping over everything. More small mammals darted amongst the stones. A coyote pair meandered by. They ignored Eddie after only a slanted glance; they were looking for small, crunchy prey.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After they hadn't seen another person for an hour, Venom felt safe enough to spool out over Eddie's shoulders, tongue lolling, tasting the air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Ssso many creatures are out hunting and being hunted. Wish we could join them…"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know babe. It's not fair though. We're too badass."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom preened, tendrils curling happily. </span>
  <b>"We are badass, aren't we?"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The praise distracted the alien from their hunger for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie trudged around a bend as Venom chuckled to themself. He rubbed the centre of his chest. A tendril caught his hand and squeezed lovingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes caught a flicker of movement through the trees, on the path ahead. The one thing his night vision was rubbish at was colour.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Something…? I sense…"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hello? Is anyone there?" a thin human voice called, right before a cell phone flashlight shone directly into Eddie's eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He yelped and ducked his head at the twin stabs of pain in his eye sockets. He blinked furiously at the purple afterimages.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"... what the fuck…" the person ahead whispered. "Did you see that?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They fell silent, fear lacing the air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie growled and stomped closer, keeping his eyes averted. Venom sank into his skin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The people ahead turned out to be two teenage girls, decked out in a smattering of hiking and yoga gear. They clutched small daypacks, dripping with buttons and decorative keychains. They were huddled together on a rotting log.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Go away!" one snapped, brandishing a white canister before them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>That one is the girl we saw in the grocery store. The one that thinks you have a </b>
  <b>
    <em>parasite</em>
  </b>
  <b>.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It was a joke. You know I never mean it." he muttered before lifting his hands and calling, "Are you okay? We won't hurt you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What the fuck was on your back? And your eyes! They're weird!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nothing's on my back. See?" He pirouetted. More flashlight flickered over his face as he turned back to face the girls and he knew from the teenager's expressions that his eyes had reflected that back at them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Listen, I've just got weird eyes. It's okay. We're not gonna hurt you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I seen you before. You were buying ice cream. You had weird eyes then too."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yep. That's me. But that's okay. What are you two doing out here so late?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The quieter of the two spoke up. "We were just on a day hike and we were walking back down. I stepped on a rock and twisted my ankle. It hurts too much to walk and our phones don't work here."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Can I see?" Eddie asked, crouching.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first girl narrowed her eyes and didn't lower her bear spray, but let him near.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stuck out her foot and shined her phone light on it. She had already loosened her hiking boot laces. Her ankle was puffy even through her woolly sock. Eddie pulled part of her sock down, revealing purple skin. He touched it gently, probing. It was hot. She hissed in pain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Welp. Looks like that's a sprain." he said. "You're not walking on that anytime soon."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sniffed and said, "I wanna go home." in a small voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie pulled his phone out. No reception either. It had been spotty all over this mountain. He chewed his lip as he thought. He could wander around until he got signal, then try and find his way back to the girls until park rangers found them or…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>We could carry her out. If we masked, we could carry both out. They would be back in town fast.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I dunno, V…"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Take us two, three hours, maybe more if you just carry the one. If we go as Venom… Maybe an hour.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, no absolutely not."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>("Who's he talking to?")</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Why not?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie stood up and paced a few steps away, scruffing his hand through his hair. "Because we will scare the shit outta them!" he hissed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>We can be nice.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>But they are innocents. Look at them. They are scared of the dark and the night grows cold. What if a bear eats them?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie made a wordless growl of frustration.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay, okay… you know what? Fine. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> can deal with the screaming after."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom purred, twisting a few fine tendrils over their host's flesh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie walked back to the teenagers, who were now clutching each other. He crouched again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What are your names?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hurt one said, "Avery."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The talkative girl glared one last time before muttering, "Piper. Are you a crazy person?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He ignored that. "Okay, Avery and Piper. We can get you down the mountain. Do you have parents back in town?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah. My parents are here. They told us to call once we were back at the trailhead and they'd pick us up. They'll be getting worried."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We can't go with him! He's a crazy person! He's talking to himself!" Piper exclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie's mouth twisted ruefully. "Can you keep a secret?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Fuck off, you creepy old pervert!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We would never-!" Eddie began to exclaim in horror before cutting himself off. "We won't hurt you. I promise. My name is Eddie. I'm not like normal people. You've, uh, probably guessed that already. I have powers, but you can't go around telling everyone, okay? We're trying to keep a secret identity thing going. No pictures either."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>We're bad at it. </b>
  <span>Venom said cheerfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Powers?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, that's why my eyes are weird. We can carry you down the mountain before it gets too late, but you can't scream. We just look scary."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girls traded looks. "...okay…" Avery said eventually.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So my powers come from another creature that lives in my body. The reason I talk to myself is that, uh, this creature can talk to me inside my head. I know that sounds really, really crazy, but it's true. They are just as smart as any human. Together, we are Venom." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On cue, black symbiote oozed out. Venom tried to keep the toothiness and the lolling tongue to a minimum. The girls blanched and clutched each other, but despite Eddie’s expectations, didn't scream.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"See? We won't hurt you."</b>
  <span> they rumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll come with you, but I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> fucking letting you carry me." Piper declared with all the teenage bravado she could muster. "You make one wrong move and I'll pepper spray you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Deal."</b>
  <span> They bent down and scooped Avery up. She was dwarfed in their powerful arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're </span>
  <em>
    <span>warm</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Yes. We are. Come along, Piper."</b>
  <span> They started off at a brisk pace.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"So where did you come from?" asked Piper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Can't tell you. Sorry."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, how about what you are?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"No. You already know sweet Eddie's face and name. Can't tell you more. Secret identity."</b>
  <span> Venom replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You know, I could just describe you and give people your name and I bet they could figure out who you are."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Hmm… We think you could too. We could also go ahead with Avery here and leave you to walk down the mountain in the dark."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She kicked a pinecone sullenly. "That wouldn't be very nice."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"We know. But betraying us when we helped you and asked you nicely wouldn't be nice either."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They trudged onwards. Piper kept falling behind and having to run to catch up, tripping and stumbling over stones.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Why were you children left alone in the wilderness? Seems dangerous."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm not a child! I'm </span>
  <em>
    <span>sixteen</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I thought I knew so much when I was fuckin' sixteen too. Turned out I didn't know shit.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Piper and I have done lots of hiking and camping. We're in Junior Forest Rangers. We're allowed to do day hikes together as long as we stick to the trail and we tell each other's parents where we're going."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom grunted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"S'not my fault a rock turned under my foot. We were doing the smart thing. You're supposed to stay put if you get hurt. The park rangers will find you eventually."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom and Avery crossed a deep runnel carved in the trail that, in the spring, would be filled with melt water. The hulking symbiote turned and held out a meaty hand to help Piper across. She looked suspiciously at the claws on their proffered hand, but took it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Have you ever thought about looking differently? Like, people'r gonna get the wrong impression looking at you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Don't want to look different."</b>
  <span> Venom replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, could you though?" asked Piper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom glanced down at her, white eyes flickering. </span>
  <b>"Yes. For a time. This is just how we look when we are bonded with Eddie. Would have to concentrate on looking differently. Hard work."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Huh." the girl uttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few minutes later Avery prodded Venom in the shoulder. "Hey, V-venom?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Yes?"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I think my friend is getting tired. She's falling behind."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They twisted their head back. The other teenager was trudging along, stumbling frequently even though she had a little flashlight. Venom stopped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Here. We will carry you both."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, I'm fine."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh my god, Piper, would you just let him help us?" Avery groaned in exasperation. "You can be grouchy later."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Piper was holding the bear spray again as Venom scooped her up too, balancing one teenager on each arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>If she tries that, she's gonna spray herself and her friend.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Probably. Eddie, would bear spray hurt us too?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Uh, probably. Maybe not your eyes, but definitely our mouth. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>What would it be like?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, it's basically turbo hot sauce… Remember when Anne and Dan took us for Thai food?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A shudder rippled through Venom's form. </span>
  <b>Yes. Why do humans eat poison all the time? You know that plants make that to </b>
  <b>
    <em>keep</em>
  </b>
  <b> things from eating them?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I dunno… Humans are just weird I guess. I liked it though.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>That is because you have an abnormal response to pain.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey! Most humans like spicy food! It's not always a sex thing! Besides, you don’t complain about coffee! Caffeine is a poison too.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Well, no more coffee then.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Terror pulsed through Eddie. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You don’t mean that.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom chuckled in Eddie’s head. </span>
  <b>No. Just teasing you.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>An forty-five minutes later, they could see distant lights from the town and they began to recognize the scenery. They were nearly at the trailhead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <b>Hey. Wake up."</b>
  <span> they rumbled gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Piper's head shot up from where it had been pillowed on the swell of Venom's shoulder. "I wasn't asleep." she said muzzily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Avery snickered. "Yes you were. You were snoring. I could hear you. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> wasn’t sleeping."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"You drooled on us. See?"</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh my god…" Piper put her hands over her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"We are nearly at the trailhead. Turn your phones back on. Should have reception now. Eddie will need to come out now. Can't let anyone see us. Don’t tell them Eddie carried both of you. Just Avery."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They set both teenagers down. Avery leaned gingerly on Piper. As the two girls switched their phones back on, Venom retracted into Eddie. Light flickered over his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's so cool."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Stop. We're not a toy."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's still cool."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His face heated a little and he tried to hide a pleased grin. Then he felt stupid. Did he really need a teenager to think he was cool? He wasn't that old, was he?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay," said Avery. "My dad's on his way here. He was at the ranger's station trying to get them to send out a search party."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Let's get you two into the parking lot, huh? We think there were benches there." Eddie said. He picked Avery back up again and strode the last little bit to the parking lot. It was empty except for his Scrambler and a rusty Volkswagen bus, apparently parked there by backcountry hikers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once he got both teenagers settled on one bench, he sat on another. He rubbed his arms and shivered a little. He only had a long sleeved t-shirt on and it was getting chilly enough that he could see his breath. He was ravenous. Forget going back to the cabin for dinner. Eddie decided they would find the nearest pub or diner and park themselves in a booth and eat until people started questioning where he was putting it all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soon, an SUV pulled into the parking lot, followed by a beat up park ranger pickup truck. The SUV screeched to a halt at an angle and a man practically dove out, running up to the girls. A woman climbed out of the passenger side slightly more sedately, but also ran up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh my god, we were so worried! Are you okay?!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah. We're mostly okay. I hurt my ankle though." Avery stuck her foot out in emphasis.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The parents gasped and wittered over the girls while the park ranger strolled over. He nodded at Eddie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie nodded back, keeping his eyes downturned to avoid the vehicle's headlights.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Avery's father turned his attention to Eddie once he was sure the girls were safe. "You brought them down the mountain?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah." Eddie got up and stuck his hand out. "My name's Eddie."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mike. You were out hiking too?" His eyes raked over Eddie, taking note of his jeans, light shirt and motorcycle boots.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I was, yeah. Was walking down the mountain when I heard them calling."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You don't look like a hiker." the ranger said. "You look a bit unprepared."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I've never hiked before, but I thought I'd give it a go. The website said this was a fairly easy one." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How did you get them down? That ankle looks pretty bad."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie gritted his teeth at what was coming. "I carried Avery down. Her foot was way too sore for her to walk on."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mike and the ranger's eyes met briefly. Eddie knew exactly why they were grilling him and he didn’t like it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie carried you down the mountain?” asked Mike.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There wasn’t phone reception and it didn’t feel right leaving them behind while I wandered around looking for a signal. It was getting too dark.” Eddie explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where abouts were you on the trail?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie shrugged. “No idea. I didn’t have a map. I got up to the top, so I figured if I just kept walking down I’d get to the bottom.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Next time you go out on the trail, I would recommend you prepare a little better for being in the outdoors and start earlier. You could have needed rescuing as much as those girls.” the park ranger stated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Unlikely.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mike slung an arm over Eddie’s shoulders. Venom tensed inside his skin. Eddie bristled, resisting the urge to shove him off. The other man steered them a little ways away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everyone here telling the truth?” he asked Eddie, voice low, carrying a hint of a threat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie played a bit dumb. “Yeah? Not sure what you’re on about.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Listen man. You didn’t take advantage of either of those girls, did you? Didn’t let your hands roam a little?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you think that maybe you deserved a little reward for being the big hero? Huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, what the actual </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I’m not some kind of pervert!” Eddie hissed. “I swear I didn’t do anything except help Avery and Piper. Jesus fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>christ</span>
  </em>
  <span>…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mike regarded him a moment longer, then subsided. “I gotta look out for my daughter and her friend. There are too many predators out there these days.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We-I know dude, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>shit</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You can just ask them. Besides, I think if anyone did something she didn’t like, Piper would have bear sprayed them into next week.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, thank you for helping them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, well… It would been pretty fucking shitty to just walk past them. I gotta get going though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You in town much longer?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah. I’m leaving tomorrow. Gotta get back to the grind, y’know?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Take it easy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He waved to the teenagers as he walked past them to his motorcycle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you Eddie!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled his helmet off the handle bars and crammed it on his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once it was safely secured, he said, “Let’s get some dinner, babe. I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>starving</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Too bad there was no criminal to rescue them from. Could have eaten him.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He snorted a laugh and gave the bike a rev before he sped off into town. The wind was like an icy knife, but ahead somewhere, there was a booth with his name on it and a greasy menu filled with artery clogging delights.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So I've signed up for the next Venom Big Bang, so that should be fun. I've never done anything like that before! I hope it will be a good challenge.<br/>I'm still not quite done writing this. It just keeps going! Writing Cap and not having him just start beating the shit out of Eddie and Venom is difficult, since their morals are so different and Eddie and Venom are such dumbasses when it comes to keeping certain things secret.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 12</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next afternoon, Eddie and Venom drove back down the highway to San Francisco. It was properly chilly and had started off with a light rain that had now turned into a drizzly mist. They’d spent the morning putting Dan’s cabin back in order, following the checklist they had been given. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom had been a bit pouty that they hadn’t seen a bear, so Eddie promised his lover that they would go back again another time. It was pretty nice up there after all. Eddie had even gotten a nice chunk of writing done in the time when they weren’t hunting down billionaires, rescuing teenagers or screwing each other’s brains out. Eddie hadn’t bought into those writer’s retreats before, but he had to admit that without TV and with the slow-ass wifi, he was a lot less distracted. So he was hoping to do this again, hopefully without the added stress of trying to kill rich assholes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was letting Venom drive again, since the symbiote’s reckless disregard of traffic law was a beacon to police and he didn’t feel like getting pulled over in the city. It was much safer for everyone involved if the alien only got to drive on highways.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie had his leather jacket done up tight against the wind. With the damp and even with their jacked up metabolism, it sank into your bones with the inexorability of a glacier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once they got into the outskirts of the city, Eddie wrested control back with only a little bit of an argument from Venom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey babe, when we’re about half an hour from home, could you please order us some dinner?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Of course. What should we get?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You pick.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom hummed a moment, thinking. It felt like bees in the back of his skull. </span>
  <b>Pizza.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, if that’s what you want. Get chicken wings too. Golden crispy please.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The pizza driver pulled up as Eddie was unloading his motorcycle. He took the boxes from the guy, inhaling the delicious scent of melted cheese and italian sausage. He slung his bags awkwardly over his shoulders while balancing the pie out in front of him. Tendrils secured the bags and kept them from sliding off. Eddie staggered up the stairs, letting Venom open the door. He chucked his bags on the floor and immediately plopped onto the couch, cracking open the box and shoveling the first slice into his mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He made a sound normally reserved for sex. God, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> pizza. Nearly as good as an old fashioned New York pie. The crust wasn’t quite right, but it was otherwise expertly done. The topping to sauce ratio was on point.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom flipped on the TV while he ate, turning it to the Food Network. It was Chopped, one of the symbiote’s favourite shows.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once Eddie was done, belly warm and full, Venom oozed out over the pile of discarded chicken bones to absorb them. Eddie thought it was kind of gross. Venom thought it was weird that Eddie wouldn’t eat them. They ate bones plenty of other times when they were hunting, so the symbiote thought it was weird that Eddie treated this differently. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They</span>
  </em>
  <span> certainly wouldn’t let them go to waste. There were lots of important minerals and plenty of calories in the bones themselves.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie wiped his greasy fingers absently on his jeans and fired off a text to Isaac Kwan to let him know he was back in town. He hadn’t heard anything from him in the week they were away, so he figured he was in the clear. Still, it would make him look responsible and he needed to keep all the goodwill he had going.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Almost immediately, Isaac replied. ‘Eddie I need to talk to you /right away/. Where are you?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Home. What’s up?’ Eddie frowned at his phone, a prickle of apprehension traveling over his skin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom hummed questioningly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘I’m coming over. Be there in 15.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Can’t you just call??? I just got home!’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘No. don’t trust it.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eddie, what is happening?</b>
  <span> Venom asked as his finger flew over the keyboard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Fine. Let me know when you get here.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, babe… Something is </span>
  <em>
    <span>up </span>
  </em>
  <span>with Isaac.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eat him?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He blew out a breath and rubbed his chest, brow furrowed. “I… I really don’t know.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac texted him again in thirteen minutes. Eddie dragged a hoodie on and clumped down the stairs as quickly as he could. Well, not actually as quickly. As quickly as a human could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The police officer was waiting inside the first door. He looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>frazzled</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His hair was a little disheveled and he had bags under his eyes. New lines creased the sides of his mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Isaac? What’s wrong?” Eddie asked as he opened the inner door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We need to get somewhere private. Come on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie followed him into the piss-stinking alley beside his apartment building. Venom was rippling around his spine, agitated and clearly ready to come out and defend their host.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, what. Is. Going. On?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Brock… Something’s happened. I… The police. Some organization has infiltrated the force and they want you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A jolt shot through him and Eddie stepped back reflexively, hands clenching into fists.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no, don’t run! Just listen!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Don’t like this.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know what you are.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom </span>
  <em>
    <span>snarled</span>
  </em>
  <span> through Eddie and puppeted him forwards with a lurch. They seized the front of Isaac’s jacket and lifted him to slam against the grubby brick wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac wheezed as the wind was knocked out of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Gi</b>
  <span>ve us </span>
  <b>
    <em>one</em>
  </b>
  <span> reason to not </span>
  <b>eat you r</b>
  <span>ight now.” Eddie growled, deadly quiet, the bass harmonics of his other rippling through his voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac was pale, clutching at the fists balled against his chest. He finally sucked in enough breath to blurt, “Because otherwise they’ll get you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hydra</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They lowered him to the ground in shock. “What the fuck?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is Eddie Brock still in there?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Of course I’m still in here?! What kind of question is that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just… I don’t know what’s going on! I didn’t sign up for this kind of crap! This is real? You actually eat people?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m still here. What about Hydra being here? I thought they got wiped out!” Eddie snapped, pacing back and forth, hands waving. He ignored the eating people question. “SHIELD said they wiped them out!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I was put in charge of a task force to find the Demon of San Francisco and it turned out that two officers in it are in this Hydra. I figured out that it was you and told them. They approached me about capturing you and taking the symbiote or whatever it is, out of you. They want it. There isn’t much time. They’re gonna figure out I haven’t told the chief and put out the order to arrest you any time now. I think I bought more time by telling them I wanted to bring you in quietly.” Isaac blurted frantically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom oozed some of themself out under Eddie’s clothes, wrapping around him protectively.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one is going to seperate us. Okay, okay, fuck… What are we going to do, babe?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Kill them all!</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that would be ideal, but we don’t know who they all are!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Set up a trap, make them come to us!</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah but… Oh FUCK! Anne and Dan! If they know who we are, they’ll be coming for them! They aren’t safe!” Fear lanced though him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac was watching this one-sided conversation with the intensity of a man clinging only tenuously to his sanity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I gotta think of a plan. Gotta text Anne…” He pulled out his phone and fired off a typo-filled text to her. She was smart; she’d get herself and Dan somewhere safe. Then Eddie looked back up and asked, “What does Hydra know?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pretty much everything. You know I do things by the book.” Isaac replied. “THe rest of the officers in the task force know too. I told them to keep it quiet for now, but who knows how long they’ll listen. Cops talk.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An idea struck Eddie suddenly. “SHIELD. They can protect them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Good idea.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sent another text to Anne, letting her know he was going to try and get some people to guard them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac wrung his hands together, still staring at the manic Eddie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come upstairs with us. We gotta get some shit together.” Eddie said, stuffing his phone back in his pocket.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie roughly filled Isaac in on the basics of what happened. He didn’t tell the police officer everything, nor did he go into the whole eating people thing. His story was wildly disjointed, with gaps big enough to drive a truck through, but he was only half listening to himself talk. As he babbled, he was rooting around in drawers and cupboards for things he thought he might need. Money, his phone, his phone charger, a pocket knife, a chocolate bar and an Altoids tin filled with phenylethylamine pills. He took one, just in case. It had been a few days since they ate someone. He wasn’t feeling that special type of hunger that happened when it had been too long yet, but y’know. Better safe than biting the heads off random people.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then he left Isaac waiting in the living room and went into their bedroom. He dug a few more things out of his sock drawer that Isaac might find questionable.His current burner phone, a fake ID, two credit cards he’d lifted from some particularly repugnant criminals they’d had for dinner one time and a set of lock picks. After a moment’s hesitation, he added the extremely expensive phone that had been left in their old apartment with a post-it bearing an hourglass stuck to it. His jacket would be looking rather lumpy if he did it up now and it hung oddly, but nevermind that. He’d be less likely to lose his jacket than a bag.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hopefully, he wouldn’t need most of that stuff, but… if he was separated from his other… Eddie loathed to finish that thought. He just had to be prepared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While Eddie didn’t have the direct phone number of any of the higher ups of SHIELD, he did have Ferguson’s number. He leaned against the wall as he called her. It rang a couple times before she answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello?” she asked questioningly, like she couldn’t believe it was him calling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Ferguson.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s up? I’m guessing you aren’t just calling to be friendly?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope.” Eddie said with a pop of his lips. “So you know Hydra? Yeah, they’re trying to kill me and kidnap V.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A beat of silence. “Wow, Brock. You sure live an exciting life, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, we’d like it if it was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>bit</span>
  </em>
  <span> less exciting for a while. We thought you said Hydra was gone?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed. “I said we cleaned Hydra out of SHIELD. They’re not as strong as they used to be, but the very structure of their secret society means that there were probably dozens of fragments left. They’ll each be trying to reform the whole thing, like pieces of a cancerous tumour. No one had tracked them all down yet. Are you sure it’s Hydra?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well we haven’t met…” Eddie trailed off, brain spinning wildly. “Holy shit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” A note of worry crept into Ferguson’s voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, we actually have met Hydra before.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eddie?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pushed the bedroom door shut with a click and said, “We were hunting down and eating some billionaires that were heavily associated with the Life Foundation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, maybe don’t tell me that kind of thing-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ferguson,” he interrupted, “do Hydra members have something they like the blather about before they die?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She snorted. “Oh my god, </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They always have some variation of ‘cut off one head and two more shall rise’ or ‘there are more of us than you shall ever know’. It’s fucking exhausting.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, so it turns out the rich assholes we’ve been eating have maybe probably all belonged to a Hydra cell that were either trying to recruit Carlton Drake or he was already a member or they were just using him, I don’t know yet. I’ll, I’ll have to do some digging…” He started pacing back and forth, hand scruffing wildly through his hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom fluttered nervously in his belly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Brock, if what you’ve told me is true, then I don’t think there’s time for that. I’ll call up Cox and get a team out to San Francisco immediately.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about us. We can protect ourselves. Protect Anne and Dan. If Hydra is as shitty as I think, they’ll try and use them to get to us. I warned them already.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good. I’ll contact you once the SHIELD team arrives in San Francisco and we have them under protection. We will be as discreet as possible. Send me their contact information.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His phone buzzed as he got a text message. Eddie ignored it for the moment. “Thank you Ferguson.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s my job.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but thank you anyways.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you gonna do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Us? Well, we’re gonna go eat Nazis.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>That was very cool Eddie. Good line to finish on.</b>
  <span> Venom rumbled approvingly. They always liked it when Eddie did something that made them seem like badasses.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He allowed a small smile and checked his texts. Anne had gotten back to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Eddie, what is going on? I just got out of a dinner meeting and saw this. What do you mean that someone is going to come after us? WHAT DID YOU DO?!’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Nothing. Well, nothing more than normal. Some Nazi terrorist group wants to kill us and we’re afraid they might come for you. Don’t worry. We contacted SHIELD. They will come guard you and Dan.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Almost immediately after sending the text, Anne replied. ‘Dan is IN SURGERY.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Trust us. Gotta go. Text you more later.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He got one more text, but didn’t reply to it. All it said was, ‘Don’t be idiots. Both of you stay safe.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac was peering nervously through Eddie’s window when he stepped back into the main room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See anything?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The police officer stepped back sharply from the window. “No. So what now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve gotten protection for Anne and Dan.” He indicated his jacket. “Got everything I need in here. Shit, do you need protection for your wife and kid?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Isaac shook his head. “Jocelyn and I always… always worried something like this would happen because of my job. We put together a plan just in case. She and Ava left to stay with family. She’s... safe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So do you have a plan?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac shrugged. “This isn't really my area of expertise. I find crime, get evidence, put away criminal. None of this double crossing, undercover stuff. That wasn’t ever anything I wanted to do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sighed. “Well, I’ve done under cover shit, but they already know who we are thanks to you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom, who had been silent for a while, piped up, </span>
  <b>What if Isaac pretends to arrest us and take us in?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m listening, babe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He can indicate to us who the Hydra members are when we get to the police station and then we can eat them.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie put his head to the side, considering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, so what is with the one-sided conversations? It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> weird and I worked night shift for years, so that’s saying something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My symbiote talks to me in my head. They’re coming up with a plan.” Eddie could see from Isaac’s expression that he really didn’t fully believe him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will you deign to share this plan? Remember, my life is on the line too now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“V says that we should pretend you arrested me and take us in. Then you show us who the Nazis are and we’ll, um, take care of them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Good plan.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s half a plan. How are you supposed to get out again?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Hmm… Can we hurt the cops?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, babe. Not unless they’re part of Hydra.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know if Buckner and McLeod are the only ones in the force. He said they had members in every police force, but he never said how many. And how will you ‘take care of them’? Hmm?” Isaac stared directly into Eddie’s eyes, eyebrows raised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t ask questions you won’t like the answer to.” Eddie retorted, looking away. He didn’t like where this was going. Isaac knew too much. At the moment, the police officer was on Eddie’s side, if only because he viewed a secret society of Nazis as the bigger threat at the moment. Once they were taken down though? Eddie shook his head, dislodging the thought. Deal with the current problems first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Wish we could just hurt the cops. Would make life simpler for us.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In the short run, maybe. In the long run, we’d be fucked.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Fine</em>
  </b>
  <b>. What do we do then?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe we’ll just try hunting them down. That’ll have the smallest chance of hurting innocents.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac growled, “Would you </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span> include me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He smells of fear. Think he doesn’t like being around us.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“V and I have, well, kind of a plan. We gotta wait until it’s properly dark. Otherwise we’ll be too obvious.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s no </span>
  <em>
    <span>time</span>
  </em>
  <span> for that. We need to do something right away!” Isaac demanded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie shook his head, frowning and crossing his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac stalked over to the window and looked out again. “Times up. I’ve been followed. We have to leave </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm just the worst with these cliffhangers, eh? Comments are the light that gets me through this never-ending winter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ahahahaa... I had to throw out 1500 words of the climax of this story because it wasn't doing it for me. It needed punching up. This is the most I've written and discarded in one go before. It hurt. Oh well. Gotta make Eddie and V suffer more. #writerprobz<br/>TW: Graphic description of healing, violence, cannibalism.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 13</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They fled via the back door. Isaac pointed Eddie towards a Maven rental car that he had picked that morning. Eddie piled into the passenger seat. Isaac peeled out of the tiny parking lot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How the fuck did you find a parking spot here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just lucky, I guess.” Isaac replied tersely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The police officer took them on a convoluted tour of the Bay area. They drove over the Oakland Bay Bridge, through Alameda, back into San Mateo and around for a bit, to try and throw off their pursuers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>During the long winding drive, both Ferguson and Anne texted him to let him know that everyone was safe for now. A couple SHIELD agents were standing guard outside Dan’s surgical theatre. A couple more had escorted Anne back from her dinner meeting and were staking out her home, waiting for Dan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They chatted a bit too, even though it was awkward as hell. At first it was just safe topics; the weather, what the local sports teams were doing, etc… But eventually it strayed towards touchier subjects. There was something about the low hum of the engine and the hissing miles that drew the words out of you.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what’s really going on with you, Brock? I know what you told me before wasn’t the whole story.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sighed and rubbed his chest. Venom was still oozed out under his clothes, webbed across his chest with a comforting amount of pressure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, I figured out this much already. What happened at the Life Foundation?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Can tell him, I suppose. Don’t think it will hurt any more.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay. So you know how they were doing unethical experiments on poor people?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Isaac replied, mouth tight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, they were also torturing aliens at the same time and using them in the experiments.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“V is one of those aliens. When I met them, they had been put inside Maria. When I tried to rescue her, they fled from her into me. Then she, she died in my arms.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The alien killed her?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom twisted angrily, growling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the thunder of his other’s voice faded, Eddie continued. “No. Well, sort of. It wasn’t their fault. So, symbiotes need a host in order to survive in Earth’s atmosphere. And they’re like organ transplants, kind of. They need to match with their host’s immune system. The Life Foundation’s scientists didn’t know that and kept putting them with random hosts, which the symbiotes kept killing. They didn’t mean to. When they did sort of match, those assholes didn’t know that the hosts needed to eat more to fuel them both. So, when symbiotes starve, they start absorbing their host’s internal organs. They can’t help it. So more people kept dying because the symbiotes, because </span>
  <em>
    <span>V,</span>
  </em>
  <span> was starving.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac shook his head, hands tightening on the wheel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m a perfect match for V though, so as long as I eat enough and the right things, I’m fine. It took a bit of learning on both our parts, but we’re stable now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t see how this is connected to you being the Demon, because this sob story isn’t really matching up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom growled again, rippling visibly under his clothes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, Isaac? Maybe watch what you're saying. V can hear everything and they don’t like it when people talk about me rudely. They’re kind of protective.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac’s breath hitched..</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie bit at his lips. “Symbiotes are a predatory species. There are things they can’t get in sufficient amounts from anything but living prey.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac kept his eyes locked on the road, face pale and pinched. He looked like he wanted to throw up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie kept talking because being quiet at this point would be even worse. “It was… hard, those first couple days. They made me do some shitty things. V was just as afraid as I was. They’d been tortured for months, they didn’t know how anything on Earth worked and all they wanted to do was get back to their leader, even though they were afraid of him too. We learned to work together and V learned they could make a choice. They chose to turn their back on their entire species and save Earth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Carlton Drake had bonded with V’s leader, a supreme asshole named Riot. Riot manipulated Drake and was going to use his rocket to bring back more symbiotes to eat every living thing on the planet. So… We saved Earth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac looked over. “You did?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. You never heard that part did you? Almost no one knows, of course. The rocket didn’t malfunction. We blew it up and almost died doing it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Buckner never said that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, no. Hydra was involved with the Life Foundation. Of course he didn’t tell you that. The rich fuckers we have been hunting down are all part of Hydra. They’ve been pulling strings here in San Francisco.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s… A lot. But, Brock… You </span>
  <em>
    <span>eat</span>
  </em>
  <span> people. Humans are your living prey.! You can’t deny it; I’ve seen what you’ve done in lurid detail.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I taught V they couldn’t eat just anyone. So we started hunting bad guys. People that preyed on others, ones that kept worming free of the law. We’re keeping the city safer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“People are afraid in the streets!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, most people don’t need to be and they aren’t. We’ve done so much good here. You would do the same in our place.” Eddie replied and then immediately regretted adding the last part, because no, Isaac wouldn’t.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I may understand vigilantes, even if I don’t agree with what they do, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>you eat people</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Do you not understand how horrifying that is? I’ve got a pretty good idea of your body count at this point. You said that your symbiote turned their back on their entire species for you, but you’ve turned your back on humanity!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have not! We are helping humanity by eating its scum! You don’t know what it’s like to be bonded with a symbiote. V isn’t just some hungry monster; they’re amazing and funny and kind in their own way. They’re just… alien. And that’s okay.” His eyes grew hooded. “You don’t know the power either. Together, we’re faster and stronger than almost anything else. We almost never have to be afraid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eddie, if I could cry, I would. Sweet, perfect Eddie.</b>
  <span> Venom said softly, love washing through their bond.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That doesn’t make it any better!” Isaac cried, ruining the moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to understand us. We can deal with this later. Right now there are bigger problems than us. We need to stop Hydra. This cell probably has a higher body count than we do and theirs isn’t made of criminals.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac fell silent again, looking sicker than ever, jaw clenched so tight Eddie could see his muscles twitching.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Half an hour later, Isaac levered his jaw back open and said, “Okay. Well, we’re near a safe place we can stop in at. This killed enough time. It’s nice and dark out, so we can figure out more of a plan before you go out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry if you hate us now, but-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Just stop talking right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled up in front of a dilapidated looking house in Visitacion Valley. It had a cracked ‘For Rent’ sign up in one window. The stucco was coming away from the outside in large sheets and the shingles were starting to curl. There were a couple large, lurid graffiti tags on the sagging wooden fence and the postage stamp front yard was a jungle of weeds. “The force uses this as a safe house sometimes. It’s empty right now and it doesn’t look as gross as it does from the outside.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Isaac looks really bad. He is stinking of fear. He is afraid… Of us, perhaps?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. Probably.” He stepped out of the car. “It’s a good thing we can’t get sick. This place looks like a breeding ground for Hantavirus.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We keep the outside looking sketchy so no one gets suspicious when people come and go at odd times.” He led the way inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was nicer than the outside, but not by much. The place was in dire need of an upgrade. The linoleum floors were scarred and there was water damage on the ceiling in a couple spots. It was furnished with the cheapest of Ikea furniture. 100% shitboard, guaranteed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>EDDIE!</b>
  <span> Venom howled, </span>
  <b>Not safe!</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-as Eddie walked around the corner from the hall to the living room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two police officers, a man and a woman, had guns drawn. Isaac stood, shoulders slumped in his irritatingly boring jacket.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You set us up!” Eddie snarled, hands curling into claws.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah ah… Don’t make any sudden moves, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Brock</span>
  </em>
  <span>. We’re armed with incendiary ammunition. No one knows what it’ll do to someone with a symbiote, but I can bet it won’t be pretty. Put your arms behind your back.” said the woman with a vicious grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Incendiary?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fire.” Eddie whispered. “Don’t come out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a squeak of floorboards, four more people dressed in generic tactical gear stepped into the room behind them. Their guns were drawn too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie complied, rage boiling in his chest. “Fuck you, Isaac. Fuck. You.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cuff him, Kwan.” the man said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” he replied in a small voice. “Buckner and McLeod have Jocelyn and Ava.” He walked around behind him and snapped the cuffs tightly around his wrists.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A jolt shot through Eddie. “You told me they were safe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And they </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> safe.” the man said. “Just as long as Isaac cooperates. Is he secured?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Buckner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A certain type of person exists that never likes to miss the opportunity to demonstrate how much smarter they are than everyone else. Buckner was one of those people. He piped up again. “So we decided to follow Kwan home after he busted the case wide open. Just in case. Turned out to be a good idea because he told his wife to take their daughter and flee. We pulled them over a few minutes after they had left. We’re keeping them tucked away, safe as houses. Once we get that symbiote out of you, Brock, we’ll release them and send them home to you, Kwan. Now, search his pockets.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac removed his knife, the burner phone, the roll of lockpicks and the charger for his phone. His fingers brushed over the other items, but he didn’t take them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom twisted and rolled under Eddie’s skin, roiling across his eyes as they scoped out the room. They probed at the handcuffs with careful tentacles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s a van parked out back. We’re gonna escort you into the back and take you to get that alien removed. Maybe you’ll even survive.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Isaac, I never pegged you to be so fucking spineless. These assholes are fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nazis</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Do you think you’re getting out of this? We’re both fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Eddie growled as Isaac put a hand on his back to escort him out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Save it. Kwan here won’t do a thing while we have his wife and child. He’ll do whatever we tell him to, won’t you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac took a shuddery breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was an anonymous white van, spotted with rust, parked out back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow guys, really? You decided to put us in a rape van? Talk abou-OW!” One of the Hydra goons clipped him in the back of the head with his pistol. “That </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking</span>
  </em>
  <span> hurt!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Hydra thugs sat them on benches on either side of the van. Eddie had his handcuffs attached to a loop welded to the wall with a short length of chain. Isaac was allowed to just sit on the bench opposite Edde. They clearly weren’t worried about him trying anything. Two of the goons sat on the benches in the back, guns trained on Eddie. Buckner drove, while McLeod sat shotgun. The other two were apparently riding in a different vehicle. Once everyone had settled, it started driving immediately.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac slumped lower, miserable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you even know if your wife and child are still alive? When was the last time they gave you evidence they were alive?” Eddie asked, staring at the police officer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sob erupted out of Isaac, quickly choked off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d be demanding proof </span>
  <em>
    <span>constantly</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut UP!” spat the woman from the front.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie’s phone began buzzing as someone tried to call him. “Hey, can I take this call?” Eddie asked sarcastically. “It’s probably super important.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You left his phone, Kwan? Jesus Murphy. Been too long since you worked with actual perps. Get the phone out of his pocket and destroy it. I don’t want his buddies in SHIELD to try and track him with it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The unnamed Hydra goon beside him rummaged in Eddie’s outer jacket pocket to grab it. As it left his pocket, he saw Anne’s name and number on the screen. He passed it up front. The woman smirked, saying, “Guess she doesn’t like our surprise.” And crushed the phone with the butt of her pistol against the centre console.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie went very still. Hydra was going after Anne and Dan. Hydra was going after Anne and Dan </span>
  <em>
    <span>right fucking now</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom twisted sharply in his guts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“McLeod. You said Brock’s ex and her boyfriend wouldn’t be hurt either.” Isaac said slowly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>McLeod shrugged. “We lied.” And turned back to face the front.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you so very, very much Isaac. Your being so fucking spineless has </span>
  <em>
    <span>killed</span>
  </em>
  <span> Anne and Dan.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not my fault! They have my </span>
  <em>
    <span>wife</span>
  </em>
  <span> and </span>
  <em>
    <span>daughter</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You would do the same for your partner!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie snorted. “You have no idea what I’ve done and what I’m gonna do for my partner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At least </span>
  <em>
    <span>they</span>
  </em>
  <span> are safe!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie bared his teeth. “No they are fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? No one knows who they are. Of course they’re safe…” Isaac said uncertainly. “They tried to get me to tell them, but I didn’t know...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Isaac. You walnut. V </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> my partner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” the police officer said, eyes widening.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s fuckin’ gross, Brock.” Buckner drawled lazily from the driver’s seat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eat </span>
  <em>
    <span>shit</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you goddamned </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nazi</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Temper, temper.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll show you </span>
  <em>
    <span>temper</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Right when V and I pull your fucking intestines out through your </span>
  <em>
    <span>mouth</span>
  </em>
  <span> and strangle you with them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Graphic. Curtis, shut him up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man seated beside Eddie clubbed him in the side of the head with his gun.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stars bloomed across his vision and he sagged sideways. The pain didn’t come right away, but when it did it was sharp and dizzying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eddie!</b>
  <span> Venom cried in his head. Their voice made his head throb.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M’okay, V…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>No. You have a concussion. I will fix it.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inky blackness oozed out over the rapidly growing egg on the side of his head, warm as blood and soothing. The pain and fogginess cleared away. He sat up straight again and glared daggers at the Nazi beside him. Gritting his teeth, he stayed silent for the rest of the drive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>We will get out of this. Just have to wait for the right time. These morsels will make a mistake </b>
  <b>
    <em>soon</em>
  </b>
  <b>.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, the van slowed and turned into a parking lot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Hydra goons dragged Eddie out. He blinked owlishly around in surprise. He expected to be taken to some grimy warehouse for whatever they had planned for him, but instead they were in the back of some shiny tech start-up. His surprise lasted only a moment. It made sense considering the people they’d been hunting down. Nearly every tech company in Silicon Valley was probably riddled with Hydra, lurking and watching, steering the companies in directions that would benefit them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They led him into a receiving bay that had been hastily repurposed into a laboratory for the night. There was a glass cage with a chair in the middle, restraints gleaming. Black speakers ringed the top of the walls and one of those canisters that struck so much dread in the symbiote sat on the floor inside the cage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom rippled in discomfort, a twinge of fear flowing through their bond.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie wanted to rub his chest and sooth his other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was hardly the hermetically sealed enclosures that the Life Foundation had; Eddie could see pale streaks of concrete dust where they had bolted everything down. He guessed that once the procedure was done, everything would be pulled up and put back to normal with only a few holes in the floor to show what had been done here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their captors stood in a half circle around Isaac and Eddie, guns still trained on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get him in the chair.” McLeod ordered Isaac.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want proof Jocelyn and Ava are unhurt first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. You don’t give us orders anymore.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Proof, please.” Isaac said, a note of anguish in his voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get Brock in the chair! NOW!” she bellowed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner smirked and muttered something to the Hydra goon standing next to him, who snickered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac appeared to come to a conclusion. He nodded to himself, took a step back and deftly disarmed the Hydra goon standing just behind him and shot McLeod  right between the eyes in one smooth movement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What followed was chaos.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cuffs dropped to the ground as Venom unlocked them and surged around Eddie, throwing him to the side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac squeezed off another shot, which only clipped the next thug as he dove away. Then one of the others shot Isaac in the back as he was aiming again for the guy he winged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Isaac jolted and dropped like a rock onto his face with a small grunt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom leaped at the guy that had shot Isaac, tearing off his head with their jaws, shoulders clutched in their huge hands. They crushed the head, pudding soft brains sliding down their gullet before the rest of the head followed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They leaped away again as the three remaining armed Hydra members started firing at them. The one who Isaac disarmed dove for the dropped gun. The symbiote landed and pivoted, swinging out a tentacle intended to knock everyone over, but it turned out these opponents were rather better shots than most of the people they fought. An incendiary bullet struck the tentacle. It promptly exploded into flame, severing the tentacle, which writhed briefly before going still and flattening.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom screamed, retracting what was left of the tentacle back and clutching it to themself. They jumped again, up to the ceiling, clinging for a moment. Their jaws split wide, letting their long tongue roll out. The gleaming black symbiote </span>
  <em>
    <span>hissed.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, the Hydra members were a lot less easily frightened than most people and so they cooly aimed their guns at Venom and fired.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They swung arm over arm along the ceiling, claws biting deep into the concrete as bullets peppered along behind them, erupting into brief, acrid flame. Venom was trying to find a gap, just a moment, maybe if one of the humans flinched or fumbled a reload. Then they would strike.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The air in the receiving bay was filled with a haze of foul smelling smoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As much as Eddie had been feeling betrayed and hurt by Isaac, his death still shook him. They had known each other for years, generally quite amicably and in the end, Isaac chose to sacrifice himself. Eddie wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>revenge</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another incendiary bullet exploded near them, this one only inches from their maw, spraying them with hot chips of concrete. They swung away, reaching out, when a shot struck them in the shoulder. It went off, ripping open the symbiote all the way to Eddie’s own shoulder and further. Blood sprayed and muscle gaped open to the bone. They dropped soundlessly, too shocked to even scream. Flame raced along the edges of the wound, devouring Venom, eager and hungry. They hit the floor, bone-crackingly hard. Through the haze of agony and panic, Eddie remembered what you did when you were on fire. He rolled and writhed, grinding out the flames, heedless of his shattered arm and shoulder. He was in quite a lot of pain, but it was still distant, his mind in a strange moment of clarity and hyperfocus. He could feel the reality of the pain rushing towards him. When it hit, it would swamp him and all coherent thought. He noted that his blood was pumping out of his wound at an alarming rate. They needed to leave. They needed to leave </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Hydra goons were ringing them now, but had stopped firing. Apparently they still wanted to attempt to remove V from Eddie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>V, we have to get up. We need to run.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie got no response from the symbiote, just a rushing wave of terror and agony. They were a quivering mass on the floor, sheltering their scorched edges within themself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Babe, sweetheart… I’ll die if they take you away from me now. I’m bleeding out. Please.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>E-Eddie. Have to save you. Won’t lose my Eddie!</b>
  <span> they growled, voice gaining strength. Venom went </span>
  <em>
    <span>berserk</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Normally when they were fully masked up, Venom liked to fight with their hands and teeth and claws. They usually obeyed the fact that they had four limbs and only used other tentacles strategically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time they </span>
  <em>
    <span>exploded</span>
  </em>
  <span> into a writhing mass of tentacles, an angry amorphous black blob, Lovecraftian and nightmarish. Random teeth sprouted out like daggers, eyes, startlingly white, glared out here and there. Tentacles ended in drooling tongues.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The goons were knocked flying. One had poor trigger discipline and fired a row of bullets into the wall and ceiling as he went over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom hesitated a moment as they contemplated killing them all now, but Eddie was hurt. His mind was going blank from shock and blood loss. His pain was white-hot, throbbing from his humerus to clavicle to scapula. No. Eddie was priority. Every second wasted meant Eddie was a second closer to death.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They lashed out with a saw-toothed limb, ripping open the aluminum receiving door like tissue paper and hurtled through it, rapidly regaining a humanoid form again. They wrapped up tight around Eddie’s shattered right arm. It hung heavy and dead. They needed a quiet moment to heal him properly, but at least they could keep him from bleeding any more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They fled up and away, tearing over the steel and glass of the building, leaping to another and out of sight just as another three shots whistled past their head. Venom slowed their headlong charge and doubled back, going the opposite direction. Soon, they found a nice safe spot behind an HVAC unit on top of a nearby skyscraper. It was comfortably in shadow. They sat down and focussed inwards onto Eddie’s wound.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While they themself were reduced somewhat by the fire, Eddie’s injury was much more serious. The careful cup and ball of his shoulder joint was cracked, his humerus fractured, clavicle dislocated, scapula grinding on chips of bone. Several ribs along his side were cracked. His muscle was split open like a ripe fruit, gaping open, patches burnt and charred by the fire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of Eddie’s body seemed to be malfunctioning too. Within Venom, he was shivering and sweaty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eddie? What’s wrong?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No answer. Just vague confusion and nausea. It was like he was sick, like before, but Venom hadn’t flooded his body with toxins.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They set about knitting his bones back together, eating chips of bone that were too damaged to heal, growing fresh spurs of bone out, interlacing them in a scaffold, strong and straight. They plumped up his shoulder joint with slick new cartilage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they worked, they took charge of some of his other functions, making his marrow pump out more blood cells. While they could provide Eddie with all the oxygen his body needed, his body was still hyperventilating. It didn’t know that it didn’t need to. They slowed and deepened his panting breath. His heart was fluttering arrhythmically. They strengthened it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His muscle was mostly easy to fix. The charred burns stumped the symbiote for a moment. They hadn’t had to heal a burn as bad as this before. Mostly it was just grease spatters, maybe a scorched tongue from drinking coffee too fast. The tissue here was quite dead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a mental shrug, they began to absorb the burnt muscle and skin, immediately laying down fresh behind them, pink and tender. Soon, the swell of Eddie’s shoulder was smooth and unbroken again with nary a scar to show where the ugly wound had been.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom leaned their head back against the metal of the HVAC with a thump. They were weary from the healing and their own injury. The healing had only taken a few minutes, but it had been complicated. Hunger throbbed through them. Not for phenethylamine; they had had plenty of that between the pill and the Hydra brain. Just for calories.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Venom?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Joy surged through them. </span>
  <b>Yes, Eddie?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Thank you...</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter ended up being way longer than I had planned, but *shrugs* sometimes the story demands that you follow tangents.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 14</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They rested on the roof for a while, giving Hydra time to vacate the area, searching further afield for their escaped prisoner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Let's get back down to street level. We're starving.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>"Good idea."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They got up with a grunt, feeling residual shakiness in their powerful legs. Hunched, they peered over the edge of the roof, eyes suspicious and narrow. But they didn't see anything. They hopped over the edge, slinking down quickly and quietly. No property damage to track them here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stayed masked until they got nearer to a busier neighborhood, retracting back into Eddie in a convenient alley.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Aw, no." Eddie moaned, inspecting himself. His leather jacket was in shreds, likewise the shirt underneath, only that showed burn marks too. Oh, yeah. And it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>drenched</span>
  </em>
  <span> in blood. "I liked that jacket." He blinked again and stared at his shoulder like he'd never seen it before. It was pale and smooth, mounded with muscle. What it was missing was his tattoo. "Aw, </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>We can get a new jacket later. Couldn't fix your tattoo though. Too complicated.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I got this with my first paycheck from The Brock Report. It'll take </span>
  <em>
    <span>months</span>
  </em>
  <span> to break a new one in properly." he fretted. "I'm gonna miss my ink. I don't even know where that artist got to."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Get more later. Hungry </b>
  <b>
    <em>now</em>
  </b>
  <b>.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, I know babe. I can feel it. But how'm I supposed to walk out on the street like this? We're gonna get the cops called on us and be right back at square one."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom grumbled, cranky with hunger, but flowed a patch of themself out over the gaping hole. It was darker and shinier than the worn leather, but it would do. They started Eddie forwards.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Can smell something good. Get us food.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie walked into the first restaurant he saw, a slightly sketchy Chinese joint that may or may not be a front for something illegal, but he didn't care. It smelled deliciously of ginger, garlic and </span>
  <em>
    <span>meat</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His mouth flooded with saliva that he hurriedly swallowed as he ordered take out. He didn't know what to pick, so he just picked some random numbers. He paid for it with a stolen credit card, then sat awkwardly on the worn chair near the door, knee jiggling, drinking the first of two water bottles. He was dreadfully thirsty from the blood loss. Venom writhed restlessly through his belly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Tired of waiting. Hungry!</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Soon, babe."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Can't we just take that bag?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> it's not ours."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Going to eat part of your liver…</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How come it's my liver when you're hungry and fair game, but when I want a beer it's our liver and it's precious?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom didn't answer, but sulked in his lower abdomen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The food came fairly quickly after that; it was getting late, but San Francisco was still thronged with hungry people getting out of bars or finishing up after a late night at the office. Eddie grabbed the teetering stack of cardboard boxes within their plastic bag and fled into the night.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He didn't get too far, sitting down on a concrete barrier at the back of a shadowy parking lot and ripping the bag open. He grabbed the first carton and started shoveling Szechuan shrimp in with his fingers, barely breathing between bites even though the spice seared his mouth. An unnaturally long tongue licked out, sweeping up the last drops of grease and sauce before that one was discarded and the next carton was opened. Sweet and sour pork vanished down Eddie's gullet, bones, cartilage and all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A couple walked into the parking lot, saw Eddie hunched over his food, eyes shining like beacons, noodles dangling from his mouth and between his fingers and froze. Venom or maybe Eddie snarled and they immediately decided to pick up their car later. San Francisco just got a new cryptid.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They finally stopped, Eddie's belly bulging, six cartons of Chinese food obliterated. He opened one of the fortune cookies, squinting at the tiny writing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You will marry a professional athlete, if competitive eating could be considered a sport." Eddie snorted and crumpled the slip of paper up, dropping it into the wreckage of boxes. He gathered them up and dropped the trash in a bin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He put his hands in his pockets, hunched his shoulders and started walking, head down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay. So we can't go back home and we have a bunch of Nazis after us. Right now we've got our meds, my wallet, a couple stolen credit cards and a fake ID. Oh yeah, and that fancy phone. So what do we do?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Tired. Let's find somewhere to rest and digest.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good idea. There's probably some fleabag hotel around here that won't look too closely at the ID."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He started walking. He'd find somewhere the old fashioned way. He didn't want to power on the phone Black Widow had left in their apartment unless he had to. He didn't know if this one could be tracked and right now? Just shutting himself and his other up together in a room to decompress sounded really good.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They only had to wander up and down streets for about half an hour until Eddie found a hotel that would do nicely. It had rooms rented by the hour and stank like cheap disinfectant. It made his skin itch, looking around at the water stains on the ceiling and mold on the walls. But the scruffy dude in his cage at the front desk barely even glanced at Eddie and handed him his keys impatiently, eager to get back to the porn, carelessly concealed on his phone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>He must be at a good part.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie clomped up the sagging stairs, the carpet unpleasantly spongy under his boots. He opened room number 209 with an actual key, not a card and stepped in, flicking on the light. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The walls were mustardy yellow, or maybe just coated in nicotine from when you could still smoke inside. The carpet was blotchy dark red-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>The better to hide blood stains with.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-and the bedspread was a weird mottled beige-y green. But the sheets were white and looked crisp and clean. He kicked off his boots, shrugged out of his ruined jacket and shirt and flung himself to the bed. It was a little lumpy and felt heavenly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He ran a hand over what had been a gaping wound less than two hours ago.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're amazing, love."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Had to fix my sweet Eddie.</b>
  <span> Venom said softly. They oozed out over him in an inky web. </span>
  <b>Almost lost you today. I am sorry I couldn't save your tattoo.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Almost lost </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I don't care about my ink in comparison to you. Are you okay? You got burnt again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A shudder rippled through their mass. </span>
  <b>Lost almost a quarter of myself. Not too bad, considering.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, babe…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>No, have started growing back. Will take a few days, but I will be whole again soon. Don’t want to mess with our metabolism to grow back faster if I don’t need to. We will just be a little smaller.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’re sure. You can if you need to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I know. Won’t if I don’t have to. Be fine growing slowly.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie relaxed a little, then his mind, as it so often did, pivoted right to a new problem, latching on. “I can't believe Isaac did that to us." He tensed up all over again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Well… He didn't know what we are. Didn't understand.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I knew him for years though. Just… he sold us out."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Had his wife and child to be afraid for. You would do </b>
  <b>
    <em>anything</em>
  </b>
  <b> for me.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie shrugged. "Of course. Fuck… Jocelyn and his daughter. Jesus fucking Christ, I hope Hydra was bluffing… that's monumentally shitty." He was a little numb at this point. He was tired and had too much adrenaline, too much stress and pain today. He twined his fingers around a knot of Venom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>We will be okay. We have each other and we are still alive. Hydra will still want us, so we will go to them. Hunt them down and eat them.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sighed. “I’m feeling pretty bleak right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Why?</b>
  <span> Venom asked, holding their host tighter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, we don’t have </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> right now. We can’t go back home, we don’t know if Anne and Dan are okay…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I am sure Anne will have dealt with Hydra. She is fierce. </b>
  <b>
    <em>Riot</em>
  </b>
  <b> was no match for her. Don’t think some </b>
  <b>
    <em>humans</em>
  </b>
  <b> could get the drop on her.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope you’re right…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Get some rest. I will keep watch.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Not long enough later, watery light trickling through the faded curtains, Eddie woke up. Or rather, was shaken awake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eddie… Eddie… We have a problem.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wuh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom took hold of his muscles and turned his head to the TV. It was turned to the news. A tendril reached out to the remote and turned the volume up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-escaped custody last night. He is believed to have some involvement in the recent murders of a number of San Francisco’s elites. Brock has long had strong opinions over many of the Bay area’s residents, as many viewers of The Brock Report remember…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Eddie choked out, sitting bolt upright, eyes bulging as he stared at the news. They had a picture of him splashed up on the screen. “They didn’t… Fuck, shit, goddamnit…” he yelped, rolling out of bed, nearly tripping over the sheets wrapped around his ankles. He snatched up his crusty, ruined shirt and jacket, dragging them on since they contained literally all his possessions right now. “How long ago did the news start broadcasting this?” He stuffed his feet into his motorcycle boots.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Don’t know. Was flipping through the channels and saw your face. Woke you up right away.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"...two police officers, Sergeant Tanith McLeod and Constable Phillip Curtis lost their lives attempting to maintain custody of Brock-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, go fuck yourself with a rusty rake…" he muttered, doing up his boots.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom grabbed the remote and shut off the tv with a growl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, okay… Gotta get out of here and lay low. I don’t know if the guy at the front desk will remember us.” Eddie opened the mini fridge and shoved the off-brand chocolate and candy into his pockets. He didn’t give a shit if they charged it to the stolen credit card, if it hadn’t been canceled already. They'd need the calories.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eddie…</b>
  <span> Venom warned a moment before a thunderous banging began on the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Guess that answers that question…” he muttered, kicking the fridge door shut and hurrying over to the window, ripping the curtains back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is the police. Open the door!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The window fortunately had no bars, but unfortunately, it was designed to only open a small gap. Venom wrapped around his arm and slammed it forward in a punch, shattering the glass, then seized what was left of the frame, ripping it out. They hauled Eddie up and out. He yelped as the ground came into view. Behind him, he could hear the door smash open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hotel room didn't face a nice, dark alley or secluded parking lot; it was right over the busy street. The street that had three police cars, lights aflash, parked haphazardly out front.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom didn't come out more than necessary, lowering them both down as quickly as possible. As soon as his boots touched sidewalk, Eddie was off like a streak, shoving past people, dodging and weaving around newspaper boxes and scattered scooters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time the police got back down, he was two blocks away, but he could hear the thready wail of the sirens. He ducked down an alley, and ran again, leaping over a dumpster that blocked his path.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Twenty minutes later, Eddie collapsed, wheezing a little, behind a parked catering truck. He could still hear sirens, but that didn't mean anything. It could be for anyone, right? He'd take a breather, wait for a few minutes and stroll out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>What do we do now?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I think… I think we're over our heads. I'm gonna contact Natasha." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The phone booted up quickly. He scrolled through the short list of contacts that had been added and texted the one labeled, 'Black Widow'.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You know," Eddie said as his fingers flew over the keyboard, "I never figured at all that we would be just </span>
  <em>
    <span>texting</span>
  </em>
  <span> with actual </span>
  <em>
    <span>Avengers</span>
  </em>
  <span>." He finished the long ass text explaining </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span>, well, almost everything that had happened over the last few days and sent it off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We gotta change our appearance." he announced as he got back up again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>How? We can't go into a store or our apartment.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"First, we gotta get some more cash."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finding a cash machine that wasn't too visible was easier said than done, but eventually Eddie found one. The credit card he'd rented the hotel room with had been cancelled, but the other one still worked. He withdrew as much as it would let him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Only one thousand dollars? Not going to last long with the way we eat… Can't we just use our own money?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't want to risk the police tracking my own credit cards."</span>
</p>
<p><b>Oh.</b> <b>What if we just hunt for our food?</b><span> Venom said, sounding worried.</span></p>
<p>
  <span>"No, we should keep a low profile as much as possible. But don't worry. I'm going to use some of my contacts."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They started walking, face turned down and shoulders hunched, trying to avoid detection. He ate a couple chocolate bars as he went. They had missed breakfast. Eventually Eddie turned into a residential street. It looked fairly ordinary and nice enough, if you ignored the dozen RV's and campers parked on the street. Another side effect of the tech boom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll need you to be quiet for this, babe. I don't want to freak out my contact."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Fine.</b>
  <span> There was a sensation in his belly like a settling cat as Venom relaxed. They sank all of themself under his skin, the gaping hole in his jacket visible again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie rapped his knuckles on the door of one that was goldenrod yellow, the back covered in peeling stickers. The windows were blocked up with cardboard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A chunk of cardboard on the door window was pulled away, replaced with a pair of dark, suspicious eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey Kev."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Eddie?" replied a voice raspy with phlegm. "What're you doing here?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Seen the news?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kev snorted. "You see a satellite dish on this thing?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie grinned ruefully. "Can I come in? I'll dish on what happened."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The promise of gossip was too good to ignore. The man opened the door and beckoned them in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was dark, but Eddie's eyes adjusted easily. The RV was old and worn, packed over full with belongings. But it was clean enough and everything was carefully organized in stacked laundry baskets or Rubbermaid bins.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kev was a man of indeterminate age. He could be a well-preserved sixty or a thirty-five worn down by poverty. His curly, greying hair was stuffed under a navy blue toque and he was wrapped in a fraying flannel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What the hell happened to your arm? You hurt?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No… It's part of the long story."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Lotta blood for someone not hurt."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's really, really complicated. I… can't tell you about that."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hmm. Well, you sit down there. I'll make us a drink and then you tell me what you can about what happened." Kev stated. He turned around with a lurch, switching on a small kettle and setting out two mugs, a carton of coffee whitener and a small pile of sugar packets.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie perched on the edge of the bench seat, folding his hands on his lap.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Fran and I saved up for a while. Got a solar panel to stick on the roof. On a good day it keeps us in hot water for coffee and keeps our phones charged. Lets us charge up some lights too." he said as he puttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Where is Fran? Haven't seen her in a while either."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"She's out earning money, driving for Uber. I'd be out too, doing this and that, but the fucking pigs broke my walker and I can't get too far with just a cane." He stuck out his leg and glared at it, bracing himself against the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What the fuck? Why?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kev growled in memory. "Didn't clear off fast enough for them once. They kicked my bags of recycling so they split and then threw my walker out of the way. Broke the wheels right off. Fran and I tried to fix it, but we couldn't."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Jesus Christ."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We're saving for a new one, but it's hard with just her earning."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Still shouldn't eat cops?</b>
  <span> Venom asked with a sneer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie rubbed his chest and said nothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kettle clicked off. Kev poured water into the mugs and added a couple spoonfuls of instant coffee. He pushed a mug towards Eddie and sat with a groan opposite him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie emptied two packets of sugar into the coffee and gave it a stir. He slurped some.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A wave of disgust passed from Venom. </span>
  <b>That is </b>
  <b>
    <em>vile</em>
  </b>
  <b>. </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So. Why did you come knocking at my door?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie uttered a short laugh. "Holy shit, I have had a, well, I guess it's been less than twenty-four hours, so it's still a day."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, we were, um, investigating-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eating.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
  <em>
    <span>investigating</span>
  </em>
  <span> some billionaires that had a connection to the Life Foundation. Wanted to take them down for what they did to Maria and the others."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kev shook his head. "Jesus, that was some shit."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah. Turns out they were part of some secret society of, get this, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nazis</span>
  </em>
  <span> and they've got connections to the police. Big surprise, huh? So they tried to kill me but I got away and I thought everything was gonna blow over. Not fucking likely. Turns out that I've been accused of murder and now I'm on the run."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kev burst out into laughter, thumping the scarred table with his hand. "Eddie, oh man… you get into the worst shit!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie couldn't help laughing too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So what are you gonna do?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie drank more of the terrible coffee. "Well, we're waiting for another contact to get back to us, er, me."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kev made himself another cup of coffee. "So why'd you come to me? You didn't come just to talk."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sighed. "No. I didn't. Kev, I'm basically a fugitive right now. My face has been all over the goddamned news. I need to lay low for a while, get a disguise. I can't walk into a store right now. The fucking Nazis will be all over me. Can I buy some clothes off you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kev looked him over with a critical eye. "They're not gonna fit you. Gonna be baggy."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's fine. It'll help my disguise."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll give you some stuff. It'll be a hundred bucks though."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie dug his wallet out and pressed four crisp hundred dollar bills into the other man's hands. "Thank you. Put it towards a new walker."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Another cup of coffee and some more gossip later, Eddie emerged from the RV still wearing his jeans and boots, but with a baggy black hoodie, army surplus jacket, scarf and black toque. Kev had also given him a torn and mended backpack with an old fleece blanket in it. He slouched off down the street.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Why did you give him so much money? We need it.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Kev's been through some rough shit. He needs it more than we do. We'll have more than enough again later."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Why can't he go out and earn more, like we did?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sighed. Sometimes he forgot that Venom had only been on Earth for less than two years and didn't know everything yet. "Well, Kev used to be in the military. He fought, like us. And like us, he got blown up, but he doesn't have a symbiote to heal him. He had one of his legs amputated and had a brain injury, plus PTSD from what he'd seen and done.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So now he finds it very hard to hold down a job, if he can find one and not many people will hire a crippled army vet with mental illness. When he had good days, he went out and collected bottles for the money and other things like that."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Oh. He didn't seem to have a sick mind.</b>
  <span> Venom murmured thoughtfully. </span>
  <b>He seemed like me or you.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Kev feels pretty safe in his home there. It's safe from his triggers. He was having a pretty good day too. I think my visit cheered him up. He likes hearing what's going on around town to the real people. And you and me have got triggers too."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>What?! No we don't.</b>
  <span> his other protested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie glanced both ways and jaywalked across the street. "We do. Fire is one of yours. Being separated is both of ours. It scares us, right? Shuts us down and keeps us from acting normally." He laid his hand across his chest. "Feel my heart? It's beating quicker just talking about being… being separated. I felt you tense too."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie's heart </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> quickened and there was a little pulse of stress hormones circulating in his blood, bitter as the instant coffee. </span>
  <b>Hmmm. I suppose… How do we get better? It's weakness. Weakness gets you killed. I am already enough of a loser.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie suppressed a sigh. He thought he had gotten Venom past that. He didn't know the full details of what being a Klyntar was like since Venom didn’t like to talk about it, but based on what little the symbiote said it had to be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>nightmare</span>
  </em>
  <span>. "You can't always </span>
  <em>
    <span>get</span>
  </em>
  <span> better. Not all the way. It's like a scar. It fades and gets smaller, but it's still there. And no one is a loser because they have a mental illness. I've got a bunch of others too, from before I met you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Like what?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, anxiety. That's partly why my mind is always going. Depression too, but you help me with that. I haven’t had a bad day in a long time now. I was a fucking mess after Annie dumped me, before I met you. There were days I could barely get out of bed. Maybe some ADHD, but I haven't been diagnosed for that. Since meeting you, I've been much better."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Why do you expose me to fire, then?</b>
  <span> Venom demanded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Because I want you to know it's not always dangerous. To be able to work through it when it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> dangerous. It's a way to smooth the scar. I’ve been able to work my way through some of my fear of heights with you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I didn’t think about it like that.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tendrils emerged under his clothes with a tingle. They wrapped around him and squeezed briefly.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Eddie's not necessarily the best at the nuances of mental illness, but he tries. If you have one that's affecting how you live your life, then if you can, seek help.</p>
<p>Comments make me give my cats extra parts!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>How's everyone doing? Not touching your face? Washing them hands? Shit's hitting the fan out there, so stay safe. Go pester me on my tumblr or Twitter if you want pictures of my cats, snake or cakes.<br/>Everyone's in this together, so we gotta look out for each other and find joy where we can. Except for that guy on the bus this morning who sneezed into his hands and then wiped them on his pants. Fuck that guy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 15</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not long after Eddie and Venom left Kev's RV, Natasha finally texted back. Apparently she was in Eastern Europe at the moment, having taken down yet another, you guessed it, Hydra cell. She was busy busy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She told him to stay put and keep undercover. She and her teammates would be there as soon as possible to help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>'Do you know what happened with SHIELD? We had them come in to protect Anne and Dan. Told them about Hydra. No answer. Lost my normal phone'</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The reply came back quickly now. She must have some downtime. 'They took casualties. They underestimated Hydra. Anne and Dan are safe. It was part of a larger sweep Hydra did. They took out a number of people across the Bay area. I don't know any more.'</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie almost wept with relief. He hadn't killed them by being in their lives. A knot that had been clenching in his stomach released. 'Thank you'</span>
</p><p>
  <span>'No, thank you. We didn't know there was a Hydra cell operating out of SF.'</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Guess it’s hard to tell when nazis are being shitty when there are all the other shitty people here’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Actually, yes. This one must have been a lot less active until they found you too.’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now that one pressing need had been dealt with, it was time for another. All they had to eat that day had been a couple stale, shitty chocolate bars and mediocre instant coffee. Eddie's stomach was roaring for more food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He found a taquero cart and bought a dozen assorted tacos and a lime Jarritos soda. Eddie polished those off quickly and went back on the hunt for more slightly questionably legal, but delicious food carts. He found another that sold tater tots topped with steak. Venom was in heaven, proclaiming them to be nearly as good as Eddie's. He took another phenethylamine gel cap. Hunting was the last thing they needed to do right now. Even if they were careful, they couldn’t risk being seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belly full and symbiote content, Eddie roamed the streets, trying to get a handle on what the situation was. He found a newspaper, but it didn't have anything very useful. It didn't tell him how they were looking for him; instead it was merely a chance for the writers to extoll the virtues of the murdered billionaires in long, purple eulogies. They took ‘don't speak ill of the dead’ to whole new levels. Eddie was disgusted. If he was writing for this newspaper, he’d be raking them over the coals. He certainly wasn’t one to play nice just because someone was dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had been afraid that they would reveal that he and the Demon were the same, but apparently Hydra wanted to keep that under wraps, lest some other interested party come sniffing around for their very own symbiote. So now he was just being accused of murder, which was fair, but it still felt like an affront. Those stupid fucking billionaires had been involved in murders too. Eddie would never know how many because goddamned Carlton fucking Drake had purged the older records of failed experiments. Eddie </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> there had been more than he found.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Further in, there was another article about the dead Hydra cops. It made him fume. They’d only killed the one and it was in self-defense. The article also mentioned a number of other missing cops, who were feared dead. Maybe in the greater sweep Natasha had mentioned? After all, Isaac had said that he had told everyone on the task force that Eddie was the Demon. Hydra was greedy and wanted V all for themselves. They couldn’t let the identity of the Demon be known.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, he got tired of wandering and sat down against the wall in the mouth of an alley, glowering out from under his brows at people walking by, scarf pulled up over his nose, even though he wasn’t cold.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the day passed as slowly as a visit with the inlaws. He snacked on the candy from the rat trap hotel and wandered around some more when his ass got sore from sitting on the sidewalk. For dinner, he got tamales from the same taquero cart. Venom was quiet most of the day, having defaulted into ‘waiting predator mode’. Eddie didn’t really know what they did when they dropped into that mode; he only got a feeling of biding time from his other. He supposed they were regrowing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the hours went on without another text from Natasha and the damp fog came creeping in, Eddie realized they were going to be spending the night out on the streets. He began looking for a safe spot to sleep. He didn’t want to be around the city’s homeless population if he could help it. If the police came in to start shit with them and realized they had a fugitive amongst them, well… things could get ugly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The best spots were all taken, staked out by their occupants. Everyone knew who’s spot was who’s. He didn’t have much choice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Babe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Hmmm?</b>
  <span> Venom hummed, attention rising back up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we go up? We need to find somewhere to sleep and we can’t try another hotel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Of course. Let me drive.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie let the symbiote take control of his muscles, somewhat jerkily at first, then more smoothly as Venom settled into a pace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be too obvious when we go up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Yes, yes. Don’t worry. I know a good spot.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>They slipped through alleys and side streets until they reached a school in the Tenderloin. They walked around to an alcove sheltered with trees. Cars hissed by, windows dark and anonymous. With a quick glance around, Venom took him up the glass wall like a streak. Once safely away from the edge, Venom released control back to Eddie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, love.” He looked around. They were on one of the tallest buildings in the immediate area, so they didn’t have to worry too much that some office worker staying late would look out the window and see them. He wandered over to the huge, humming HVAC units and with a shrug, took off his backpack and removed the fleece blanket. Eddie wrapped it around himself and slid down, leaning against the unit. It was warm on his back. He brought his knees up and rested his arms on them, then put his forehead on top of his arms. He tried to get comfortable and let his mind empty, so that was when it decided to let the rest of the weight of what they were going through strike him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A whimper rose out of his throat. Soon he was wracked with gasping, heaving sobs, shoulders shuddering.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>E-Eddie?</b>
  <span> Venom asked, hesitatingly. </span>
  <b>Are you okay?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m… I’m… Oh, fuck…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They manifested a head and two hands, holding their host’s shoulders, eyes wide. </span>
  <b>“It’s okay, Eddie. We aren’t hurt. We are safe. What’s wrong?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie sniffed and wiped his streaming nose on his sleeve. “I don’t know if Anne and Dan are still okay. Isaac is fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His wife and daughter are probably fucking dead too. A bunch of SHIELD agents are dead because of us and on top of everything, we’re fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>homeless</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom wove their head back and forth in uncertainty as Eddie started sobbing again. </span>
  <b>“Not forever. Natasha is coming to help.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but we don’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>when</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I’m not gonna have a fucking job after this! No one’s gonna hire someone who was accused of murder! I was already an iffy hire; now I’m gonna be a fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>pariah</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Eddie… I… I don’t know what to do either. We are together. I will keep you safe. That’s what I know how to do. I don’t… I don’t </b>
  <b>
    <em>know</em>
  </b>
  <b> what to do with all these complicated human things.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie grabbed Venom’s head and hugged it tightly. Venom spooled out more of themself for him to hold.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“I think… I think we can only tackle one problem at a time. We can’t know if Isaac’s family is dead right now. We don’t know what to do about your job yet. But can’t we text Anne and see if she is okay?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“My normal phone got destroyed. I don’t know her number.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Sweet Eddie, I remember her number.”</b>
  <span> They drew out the fancy phone and powered it back on, then typed in Anne’s cell phone number. </span>
  <b>“Here.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re always better at remembering numbers than me.” Eddie said with a watery smile. He took the phone and started typing. Anne replied almost immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Eddie!!!!! We were so worried!!! Are you safe???’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Yeah. Holed up somewhere right now. What happened earlier?’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Those agents escorted Dan out of the hospital after surgery. They got attacked and three were killed. They got away. We are in a hotel room being guarded by more SHIELD agents. Mr. Belvedere is here safe too. They tried to attack me too, but my guards were ready’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Hydra made it sound way worse than that’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie could practically hear Anne’s derision in her next reply, ‘They’re fucking /Nazis/. Do you think they tell the truth?’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He laughed. ‘Gonna sort this out. Everything will go back to normal’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘I hope so. I’m sending the bill to get the bullet holes repaired to SHIELD. Dan’s supposed to have a dinner party with colleagues in a couple weeks and I don’t feel like explaining them’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie smiled, some of the weight lifting off his shoulders. Anne sounded pissed, but normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sent another, ‘Gotta head to bed. I’m still going to court tomorrow, whether they like it or not. You keep in touch. Promise me’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘We promise. Say hi to Dan for us’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling slightly better about the whole thing, Eddie settled into sleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t the most comfortable night he’d ever had. Eventually, he slumped down, resting his head on the backpack. He woke up here and there in the night as he tried to get more comfortable. At one point he awoke to the sound of rain. Peeking through one eye, he saw a black canopy stretching over him. Pale eyes formed in the underside and blinked solemnly at him. He smiled and fell back asleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The morning dawned cloudy and cold. Eddie was up early and spirited back down the side of the building by the symbiote. He didn’t put the blanket away, keeping it wrapped around his shoulders. He was feeling the cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Need coffee.” he said aloud. “I think I’m gonna risk going into a restaurant. We need breakfast too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>What if people recognize us?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’m hoping the clothes will put them off. We </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Well, it did get cold last night. Had to keep us warm.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but right now that hipster over there is looking pretty tasty, so that’s a problem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom swirled through his eyes to take a look. </span>
  <b>Bit on the skinny side.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but he’s probably vegetarian. Grain fed, babe.” </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Pfft. Like he eats </b>
  <b>
    <em>grains</em>
  </b>
  <b>. Bet he only eats free-range kale and cruelty-free soy yogurt.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie snorted with laughter as he passed the hipster by. No one even looked at him. If you were homeless, you were invisible, unless you were in the way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It started to drizzle as Eddie reached a likely place. Lafayette Coffee and Diner. Being in the Tenderloin, most of the tech people avoided it. It was old San Francisco. It hadn’t been open very long yet, so there were mostly just sleepy San Francisco old-timers and people who were clearly regulars in it, sipping coffee and dipping toast in eggs, having quiet conversations with each other. Eddie caught snatches of it whenever the door opened. He sniffed the exhaled scents of coffee and bacon, his stomach growling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie tugged his toque further down over his ears, stuffed the blanket into the backpack and walked in, feeling tense. No one yelled, “That’s him! Get him!”. Instead, Eddie sat himself in a booth at the rear of the place, but with an easy path to the door. The server dropped a greasy, laminated menu in front of him, filled up a mug with hot, strong coffee and walked off without giving him a second glance. He ordered sausage, eggs, hotcakes and a side of potatoes when they came back. The server dutifully filled his mug back up again. Eddie inhaled his breakfast. It was good, cheap and greasy and sat with a nice, warm glow in his belly. He drank as much coffee as he could stand and when the place started filling up, ordered a ham and green pepper omelet with more potatoes to go. He left a generous tip and sidled out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was still drizzling and seemed to have set in for the rest of the day. Eddie dragged a chunk of cardboard under the corner of an awning, folding it over so he had a place to sit and wrapped himself back up in the blanket to while away the day. He dozed fitfully here and there, trusting Venom to warn him if anything seemed amiss. Nearer to lunch, he ate the now cold omelet with his fingers in the shelter of the blanket. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A pair of beat cops walked by at one point. He hunched himself further, peering out in the small gap between his brows and his folded arms. Venom rippled within him, pressing at his skin, ready if they tried anything. He curled his lip in a silent snarl, sharp teeth pricking his lip, but they just walked past. The homeless look was like an invisibility cloak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie dozed again eventually. He got a bit of a start as someone chucked a handful of change at him as they walked by. Tendrils quickly gathered it up and secreted it into his pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Bored, Eddie.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. Me too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Let’s go somewhere else.</b>
  <span> they rumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, where do you suggest?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Mrs. Chen’s. She might give us free chocolate again.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t endanger her. No way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They rippled in disappointment. </span>
  <b>Just for a little while. Something to do. Please?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie hemmed and hawed. He was getting sore sitting here on the ground and he was so bored that watching two pigeons fight over an old fry was almost riveting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"... Yeah, why not. We'll go just for a few minutes. And we can get one of those fancy chocolate bars."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Yessss…</b>
  <span> Venom said happily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie got up with a grunt, dusting off his pants. Then he stretched, spine crackling. He readjusted the blanket around himself and started off to Mrs. Chen's bodega, taking an indirect route. A couple times he abruptly turned around and headed back the way he came after seeing beat cops on the rounds ahead of him. There were more out than usual.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The drizzly rain didn't easily soak into the polar fleece blanket, but it did bead up all over it, covering Eddie in fine sparkles. It was really starting to feel like winter today. He shivered a few times until walking warmed him up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mrs. Chen was mopping up wet footprints in her store when they got there. In deference to her clean-ish floors and fierce temper, he wiped his feet off as best he could. She glanced at Eddie, turned away and then did a double take.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Eddie? Why do you look like a bum?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He bit back a smile. "Uhh… we kind of are right now?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She dropped the mop in the bucket and gave the whole thing a shove with her foot. It rolled a few feet towards the back and came to a jerky halt. "What do you mean?" she demanded, hands on her hips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Haven't you seen the news, Mrs. C?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie glanced at the tiny, ancient TV perched on a high shelf. It was showing a silent broadcast of Chinese news with mandarin subtitles. "Ah, well that explains that." he muttered. Louder, he added, "Have you seen the local news?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nothing but the weather."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, currently V and I are fugitives."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We are fugi-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I heard that part." She shooed him further into the store, away from the windows. "What did you do?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie thought about giving her the edited version he'd given Kev. Fuck it. They had eaten someone right in front of her. If she didn't run screaming from that, nothing would faze her. "We were eating a bunch of shitty- wait. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Extra</span>
  </em>
  <span> shitty billionaires and it turned out they were part of a secret society of Nazis that work with the police, so now we're wanted for murder. We can't go back to our apartment right now because they might find us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How are you going to fix that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie shrugged. "We're waiting to see if some people with experience in dealing with these guys can help. We don't know how long it will take them to get here."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So you're just staying out on the streets until then?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. I guess."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made a clucking noise. "You are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Eddie. Come! Come!" She ushered him into the forbidden zone, the back room. It was cluttered with boxes of products, but there was a little sitting area, a tiny bar fridge, kettle, teapot and microwave. "Now sit and warm up. There is hot tea in the pot."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But, we can't-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sit. Warm up." she said sharply, heading back to the front as the door chimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Better do what she says, Eddie. She is fierce.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"You got that right, babe." He shrugged off the blanket, draping it over a chair back to dry. He dithered for a few minutes before sitting awkwardly and pouring himself a cup of tea. It was grassy tasting, both sweet and bitter at the same time. He ended up drinking a couple cups as Mrs. Chen dealt with a steady trickle of customers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, there was a lull and she walked into the back, tossing a chocolate bar onto the table with a thump.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie jumped, Venom knotting up in his guts with a pinch. He grunted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Relax." she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry. We're just a little jumpy, with you know, the Nazis trying to kill us and all."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Eat that. You look like shit."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Always so free with the compliments, Mrs. C. You're gonna give me a fat head." He slit the paper wrapper open with his thumb and snapped off a smooth, brown square. He popped it in his mouth, crunching the toasted hazelnuts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom let put a deep hum of pleasure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My cousin will be by later with dinner. He's bringing enough for you too."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We can't stay that long."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Why not?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why not?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Because we're wanted people! You are in danger! We shouldn't have come." Eddie exclaimed. "Why are you being so nice to us?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You took care of that gangster for me. He was getting bolder. Asking for more money, coming more often. Margins are tight enough as it is."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, I mean, we couldn't just keep letting him steal from you…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Let people do nice things for you. My cousin will be by later. You will have dinner." she said threateningly, striding back to the front as the door chimed again.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>How's everyone holding up right now? The last week was kind of odd, but then Saturday night it got really real and now everything is weird.<br/>I'm hoping the Canadian government is going to help small businesses, otherwise the bakery I'm at is going to be boned.</p><p>This is just another quieter chapter, a moment to breathe before the climax.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 16</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie drank more tea and ate another chocolate bar when it was tossed in front of him. He texted Natasha again asking for an update, then texted Anne. She did indeed carry on as usual, to the distress of the agents guarding her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dan went to work too. His patients would not wait, murderous cult or not. Eddie was glad their lives weren't completely off kilter because of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mrs. Chen's cousin stopped by with a couple bags of food. Eddie could smell it immediately, stomach growling. Venom roused too from their lower awareness level.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey." said the cousin with a nod. Eddie had been told his name once, but as he had been drunk at the time, he had immediately forgotten. Now it had been too long since he had been told and it would be weird to ask his name again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hi."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You liked those meditation dvds?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie sighed in exasperation. "They're in Mandarin. I got nothing out of them."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Give 'em a try. They'll be good for you. You look tense."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, still don't speak Mandarin."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Did you try going into the menu and changing the language?" he asked with a smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie opened his mouth to retort, but Venom piped up.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Don't think you ever tried that before chucking them.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He shut his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cousin grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie grumbled to himself while Venom snickered in the back of his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Here, these containers are for you." he said, opening the bags and setting a stack of plastic tubs in front of Eddie. "Wash 'em up in the sink when you're done or the boss lady'll kick your ass from here to Oakland."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mrs. Chen yelled something in Mandarin from the till and her cousin vanished back up front.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Smells good.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. This can't be all for us. It's too much." Eddie replied, getting up and sticking his head out the door. He watched as the cousin waved at Mrs. Chen as he left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie wandered over to the till, feeling awkward and like he was imposing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's… uh, you're, you're just doing too much for us. We're loitering around here, eating your food and endangering you-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Eddie. Shut up. It's not like it's anything fancy. Eat dinner and let people help you. I've seen you, even when you were at your worst you were always nice to regular people, even when you were drunk off your ass. You practically gave your last pennies to that poor Maria girl. Now it's other people's turn to be nice to you. Get."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie got, feeling chastened and awkward and grateful. He couldn't argue too hard when he was hungry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first container he opened was full of steamed rice. The second had dumplings filled with pork and shrimp or mixed vegetables. The third had stir fried vegetables and chicken feet covered in a sticky, garlicky sauce.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom was entranced. </span>
  <b>Always wanted to try chicken feet!</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie wolfed the dumplings, then the rice, pouring leftover soy sauce from dipping the dumplings over it. He ate half and then eyed the chicken feet because Venom was practically vibrating in his chest with desire. He picked one up and looked it over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How do I eat these?" he asked, half to himself and half to his other.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Just crunch it all up.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ew. You know I don't like crunching bones."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Eddie. Don't lie to me. When we are masked you </b>
  <b>
    <em>love</em>
  </b>
  <b> crunching bones. Skulls, vertebrae… fingers.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie cleared his throat, glad that only he could hear Venom at the moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Apparently he was taking too long, so Venom propelled his muscles forward. His teeth snapped through the brittle bone and it was half chewed before he could even protest. The sauce was delicious; sweet, savoury, spicy and garlicky all at once. The chicken was rich with gelatin and tender from long cooking. The bone was, well, a bone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hmm…" he hummed to himself. Not bad.</span>
</p><p><b>Delicious!</b> <b>Eddie, we must figure out how to cook these!</b></p><p>
  <span>The symbiote's delight overwhelmed the part of his brain that was still ooked out by eating chicken feet. He quickly devoured them and finished the meal by alternating the vegetables and rice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mrs. Chen walked through the door and sat down at the table, opening her own smaller stack of containers. She saw he was eating rice with soy sauce on it and clucked disapprovingly. Then she noticed there were no bones piled up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uh…" Eddie began nervously, but she just shrugged and started eating her own dinner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who's watching the front?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Danny. My cousin. He came back after his errand. You liked everything?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. V wants the recipe for the chicken feet. They loved them."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mouth twitched in the tiniest of pleased smiles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mrs. Chen also insisted that they spend the night in the bodega. It was still raining, so Eddie maybe didn't argue as strongly as he might have. There was no bed in the back room of the store, but it was warm and dry. That was enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie decided he'd help a little as she finally closed up for the night. He could manage to sweep and mop. As he worked, the phone in his pocket buzzed. He paused, leaning the mop handle against his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom passed the phone up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha and her team were on their way. They would arrive the next afternoon. Apparently even with whatever high-tech stealth jet they were flying, they still needed to be cautious entering US airspace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom squirmed happily. </span>
  <b>Gonna eat some Hydra goons!</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Soon, babe." He grinned. "Holy shit, we get to do a team up with a fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>Avenger</span>
  </em>
  <span>. That's so cool!"</span>
</p><p>
  <b>I liked Natasha.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"We're gonna kill Nazis with an </span>
  <em>
    <span>Avenger</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p><p><b>I would like to see how she fights. Most humans are disappointing fighters. She must be good to keep up with all of the enhanced humans.</b> <b>She is fearsome.</b></p><p>
  <span>"You just think scary women are fascinating, babe."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mrs. Chen closed the till with a bang. "No killing Nazis in here. You take it somewhere else. Danny doesn't want to clean up your leftovers again."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>You like scary women too. Anne used to put you in your place often enough.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry about that, Mrs. C." Eddie called, ignoring his other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You eat the whole gangster next time." She stepped out from behind the till. "Now, I'm going to lock up. I'll close the shutters, but they have a quick release from the inside. You aren't stuck in here, but don't leave in the middle of the night and leave the bodega unlocked. Danny will be by tomorrow morning at five-thirty to open. You can stay here a little longer in the morning if you want."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank you Mrs. C."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Thank you.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"V says thank you too."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah yeah. You eat anything, write it down. Pay me back when you get access to your accounts again." She fixed a steely eye on him. "I am trusting you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry. We'll be quiet as mice."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They settled in for the night. Venom wrapped around him and anchored themself to opposing walls to form a hammock around Eddie. He fell asleep almost instantly. They'd had two days of bad, interrupted sleep, plus they had been outside in the cold for hours so their host was exhausted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom wished there was a tv in the back room or at least a charger for this fancy phone. The battery hadn't gone down much, but Eddie still wanted to ration the power.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They pushed out with a tentacle, setting the hammock swinging gently. Eddie made a little grunting noise and pulled the blanket up over his head. Venom felt a pulse of affection flow through them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The symbiote turned their attention inwards, flowing through Eddie's veins. He had a few aches and pains from their rougher living the last couple days. Venom eased them and then investigated Eddie's shoulder. They noticed there were a few knots in the muscle where they hadn't done as good a job healing as they could have in the moment. They dissolved the scar tissue and carefully laid down fresh muscle fibers in their place. The symbiote also decided to even up the ragged edges of the damaged tattoo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once, they had done a deep dive into tattoos and how they worked since they were curious about Eddie's. They knew he would probably want to get another to replace it and they might as well make it easy for the new artist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They continued roaming through his body, noting that everything was working smoothly, enjoying the gentle crackle of dreams in his brain when they noticed a few tiny knots of aberrant cell growth peppering his organs. They were no larger than a few dozen cells. Venom had noticed these before, cropping up every few months. They didn't know what they were, but they seemed abnormal, so they ate them whenever they discovered more. That didn't seem to bother Eddie, so they kept doing it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Surreptitious movement outside Eddie's body. Venom flowed out through his skin, forming a head to see. A couple rats, fat with scraps stolen from Mrs. Chen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They bared their teeth and snapped out two tendrils, constricting tightly around their bodies. The rats were drawn into Venom's mass with barely a squeak. The symbiote started dissolving them, disassembling them and putting their meager amounts of protein and fat to use.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They occupied themselves the rest of the night by catching more rats. They wouldn't tell Mrs. Chen, but she'd be happy to notice fewer rats for a while.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I posted some videos of my cats getting pats on my tumblr if you need cuteness right now.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So it looks like after today, I'm going on a short-term layoff to socially isolate more since I use public transit. Hopefully, things will go slightly closer to normal by early April? Though I'm not going to be too optimistic since I don't want to be disappointed. How is everyone else doing?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 17</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie and Venom waited patiently on a bench on Golden Gate Park. It had stopped raining, but it was foggy. The air felt heavy and damp, but soft. He sipped a giant paper cup filled with coffee, watching joggers materialize out of the grey mist, their eyes only on the miles ahead of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom liked the humidity. They wanted to come out and taste it, feel the tiny drops of moisture bead up on their inky hide, move through it like a wraith.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie was mostly aware of how the damp bench was soaking through the ass of his increasingly grubby jeans. And of how quickly his coffee was disappearing. He liked its searing, aromatic bitterness. It felt like it armored him against the dreary day, turning it cozy instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Where are they? Has to be getting past when they said they would come.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Dunno. Let's just wait a bit longer. I think we're at the right bench."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He finished his coffee, crumpling the cup and chucking it in the garbage. Eddie whistled a little, looking around. He itched his scruff. It was getting overly long and itchy. Plus, he hadn't showered in three days. He pulled the neck of his shirt open and sniffed, making a face. Yup. He was getting pretty ripe.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Eddie. To our left.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned and saw three people walking through the fog, one woman and two men. One was fit, but fairly average in build, maybe a bit on the slight side. The other was tall and </span>
  <em>
    <span>built</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He looked like a Dorito on legs. As they drew closer, Eddie's jaw dropped. The beard and longer hair were new, but he'd still recognize that face anywhere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No. No fucking way. Holy shit." he muttered to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>What?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's Captain America. Ho-ly </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>." He got up, hands in his jacket pockets. Then he thought maybe that looked too sloppy, ignoring the fact he hadn't showered in several days, so he took them out. He let them hang at his sides for approximately two seconds before he was nervously wringing his hands together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, Eddie." Natasha called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"H-hey."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This is Eddie Brock. Eddie, meet Steve and Sam."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thrust out his hand. Captain America took it, giving it a firm shake. Eddie was awestruck. He shook Sam's next. He wasn't as familiar, but he'd still know another Avenger anywhere. He was Falcon. He had a couple days of beard growth and slightly bloodshot eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that he looked again, all three of them looked tired, worn down by many months on the run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's really, really nice to meet you, Captain. We're big fans."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not him anymore. Just Steve is fine."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"O-okay."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha gave him a wan smile and piped up. "Sorry it took so long to get here. The Hydra nest we were cleaning up in Belarus was dug in deep. Let's get somewhere out of the weather to debrief."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They sat in a picnic shelter in the park, not far from the bench they had been waiting at. Underneath his awe, Eddie was feeling slightly grumpy; he hoped they would go somewhere warm instead. This didn’t count as being out of the weather to </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Natasha had explained that this was the safest place to discuss things. Unlike a coffee shop, there was basically zero chance that this shelter was bugged and it had good sightlines to see if anyone was creeping close to listen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie had thought </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> was paranoid, but Natasha took the cake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” she said conversationally, “fill us in on everything that’s happened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie dithered a moment, tugging his sleeves down over his fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Tell them. They are on the run too.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but there’s the whole eating people </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” he hissed in reply.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Well, now that you’ve gotten </b>
  <b>
    <em>that</em>
  </b>
  <b> out of the way…</b>
  <span> Venom began cheerfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked up. “Uh.” Sweat dampened his pits.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Natasha told us already.” Steve said, concern creasing his forehead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She did?” Eddie asked, baffled. This was going too well. He hadn't planned on telling Captain America that he was a part time cannibal since he figured he would end up having his ass kicked from here to kingdom come.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded, green eyes locking onto his intently. “Don’t worry. I told them all what you </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> Bruce synthesized an </span>
  <em>
    <span>alternative</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p><b>Ooohhh…</b> <b>I get it, Eddie.</b></p><p>
  <span>“That must have been awful for you.” Sam said. “Hey, if you need to talk about it, I got a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> of experience talking to people who’ve had to do awful things to survive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom burst out laughing in his head, blocking out whatever the blonde man said next.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-sorry? What was that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said, we’ve all had to kill before. It’s never easy and it sounds like you made the best of an unimaginably bad situation. I hope it hasn’t hurt you or your symbiote too badly. When I was-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Steve. Please don’t launch into a speech right now. I’m too jet-lagged.” Natasha cut in, giving Eddie another very pointed look. “Let’s get down to the business at hand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Are these guys for real?</b>
  <span> Venom cackled again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Let’s hurry it up with the classified talk so we can get somewhere warm and dry.” Sam added, hunching his shoulders and flipping up the collar of his coat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie explained everything that had led up to him being hunted by Hydra. After the look Natasha had given him, he downplayed the eating people thing as much as possible, though it still came up in regards to the Hydra members. Eddie tried to frame it as something they did out of desperation, like they had been backed into a corner and had to eat their way out. He also didn’t mention that they had been killing the billionaires </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> they knew that they were part of Hydra. Instead, he made it sound like they had known from the start and had just gotten over their heads. He felt really weird lying to Steve.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve was surprisingly unbothered by it. Apparently, taking out most Hydra followers the non-lethal way wasn't that effective; they managed to worm their way out far too often since they still had members all over the place. So Steve, Sam and Natasha were cheerfully, well, stoically on the part of Steve and Sam, murdering their way through whatever Hydra cells were still around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie had to keep reminding himself that the squeaky clean Captain America seen in the media was not exactly the one before him. Steve Rogers had spent basically all of his adult life fighting in one way or another. He was a World War Two vet. Eddie wouldn't be surprised if his body count was higher than theirs. He knew full well what taking a life was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking into his blue eyes, Eddie had a moment where he felt a flicker of doubt that Steve believed the story Natasha had woven. He had seen some shit and he wasn’t stupid. He was simultaneously the idealistic boy scout and the cynical, scab-souled veteran. But then the moment passed and Eddie continued on. Maybe he acted like his media persona because it was the only way to keep pessimism from swallowing him up. Either way, he was hard to read.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After he had debriefed them, the three former Avengers came to the conclusion that Eddie and Venom were trustworthy enough and drove them to their secret base, an Airbnb they had rented in Daly City.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frankly, he was shocked. He had been hoping that they would be holed up in some exciting, dilapidated warehouse or forgotten World War Two bunker covered in peeling posters. Or failing that, their fancy jet, cloaked somehow from prying eyes on top of a building or under the Bay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not a twee fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>bungalow</span>
  </em>
  <span> painted a cheerful butter yellow with </span>
  <em>
    <span>daisies</span>
  </em>
  <span> planted beside the blue front door. Part of him also resented the very existence of the Airbnb since the company was partially responsible for the lack of housing in the whole San Francisco area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, he hadn't showered in several days and he was hungry enough that he was cold. Eddie was not made of stone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Go ahead and shower. We're gonna order pizza as soon as Nat and Steve stop arguing about pineapple." Sam said, showing Eddie the bathroom. He held up a stack of clothes. "Here. Something clean. There's a washing machine if you want to wash what you've got on right now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks, man." Eddie replied. “Where did you guys get all this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“SHIELD had your measurements from when you stayed at the Avengers compound. Nat liberated the data and went shopping before we met you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, thanks.” He felt awkward at the charity and shut the door with a click, hiding his pink face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laughter drifted through it as he turned and switched on the shower. He kicked off his clothes into the corner and stepped into the shower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hot water was </span>
  <em>
    <span>heavenly</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He just stood for a moment under the pounding spray with his eyes closed.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Feels good.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah it does. Modern society is kind of shitty, but it has its perks."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Yessss…</b>
  <span> The symbiote oozed out, tendrils playing in the spray.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie bent over and picked up a tube of body wash and a clean washcloth.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Wash your back?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes please." Eddie replied eagerly. He groaned happily as his other scrubbed away at his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Eddie was scrubbed from toe to top, Venom squeezed the cloth out under the shower. Foam flowed over their inky flesh, startlingly white. He felt a pulse of delight from the symbiote.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie started shampooing his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom took that over, pushing his hands out of the way. Eddie loved scalp massages and they liked the feeling of his hair. After a moment they piped up, </span>
  <b>So what will we do now that we have back up?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hmm. Well… I didn't really think that far, I guess. They've done this kind of shit before."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>We will get to eat the Hydra people, right?</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie grinned ferally and angled his head to rinse off. "I think we can manage that. There's always so much chaos in battle."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>I</em>
  </b>
  <b> want to eat the man who shot us slowly.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Buckner? Christ, that guy is an asshole."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Yes. Slowly. We'll start while he is alive, so he can watch.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"I wanted to strangle him with his own intestines though."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Why not both? Strangle him a little bit. Then eat him.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"I like the way you think, babe." He shut off the shower and wrapped an enormous, fluffy yellow towel around himself. He dried off his face and secured the towel more tightly around his waist. There was a medicine cabinet above the sink. He opened it and snooped through the contents.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing terribly exciting. Apparently, whoever owned the Airbnb had stocked it with a number of small toiletries for their guests to use. There were some unopened travel-size deodorants, razors, shaving cream, hair goos and lotions. He unwrapped a razor, slapped some shaving cream on and started scraping off the hair. He'd rather trim it and keep some of that rakish scruff going, but they didn't have a trimmer. No need to worry about aftershave either. Venom briefly passed over his face, healing the irritated skin. He smeared on some deodorant and was about to shut the door again when a tendril stopped him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reaching in, Venom rummaged through the bottles, popping open the lids. Eddie let them take as much time investigating as they wanted. They grabbed a bottle. </span>
  <b>Let's put this on. Smells good.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie shrugged and squeezed a blob of lotion out on his hand. He sniffed, then read the bottle. Ylang-ylang and sandalwood. Why not?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The measurements or scans or whatever had been correct and Natasha had a good eye. The jeans fit nicely and the black, long sleeved t-shirt was only a bit too tight. He wondered if that was intentional. Plus, the sensation of fresh socks and underwear… Glorious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He swiped a little gel through his hair, tousling it just the way he liked it. His lips twitched in a little smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>We look good. Very handsome.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He blushed, ducking his head and stepped out of the bathroom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He immediately smelled pizza. His attention focussed with laser-like intensity on the food. At the small, glass-topped kitchen table were three large pizza boxes, completely covering it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three ex-Avengers were already eating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam said, "Good timing! They literally just showed up. We got pepperoni and mushroom, meat lovers, quadruple cheese, spicy pineapple and anchovy, sausage and banana pepper and spinach, goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank you</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Eddie said fervently. He grabbed a plate and started piling slices on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After gobbling a couple, he asked, "Why so much? It's too much, even for us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're not the only one with a giant appetite." Natasha said, jabbing a pizza crust accusingly at Steve. She dipped it in bleu cheese dip and crunched it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The huge blonde man smiled, almost apologetically. "Super soldiers eat a lot too."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jesus, you wouldn’t believe the food bills…” Sam began, then grinned, showing the gap in his front teeth. “Well, you actually probably do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah. V tries their best to eat me out of house and home…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once everyone had eaten pretty much all they wanted, Eddie asked, "So why the Airbnb? Aren't you guys, well, us too, um, wanted criminals?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah." Natasha said. "It's less risky than a hotel room. There’s always surveillance in one form or another and a lot more eyes around. Airbnbs are more private, plus I procured fake documents for everyone. Fixed up a positive account and everything. The hosts think we're a group of traveling hipster friends from Oregon. A lot of companies like this don't dig too deeply into the users and they get bitchy if law enforcement tries to meddle."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie raised his brows and nodded. That made sense.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Ask them when we get to eat people.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"How can you still be hungry?" Eddie muttered to his other. "Did you </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span> how much pizza we ate?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam shot a slightly perturbed look at Natasha. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, so um… Can… can we like, help you guys for doing so much for us? Like, you gave us clothes and food…?" Eddie babbled nervously as he felt nervous sweat spring up on his palms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve shook his head. “We have resources you don’t and taking down Hydra is something I need to do. I failed in nineteen forty-five. I’m going to do it right this time.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Living in interesting times sucks.<br/>TW: Police brutality</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 18</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This is a stupid plan.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>It’s fine.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it’s not. I can’t believe we’re doing this.” Eddie hissed as he walked down the sidewalk in broad fucking daylight. His guts were clenched with anxiety.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>This will work.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course it will work. My concern is not that it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to work, you dingus. We're not even </span>
  <em>
    <span>trying</span>
  </em>
  <span> to fucking hide." He tried to keep his face calm, which resulted in it looking like a toothache rictus. His hands were shoved deep in the pockets of the snappy black coat he wore, one wrapped around his phone, the other compulsively kneading a lump of symbiote.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>It's a great idea.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I think whoever taught Nat tactics should be </span>
  <em>
    <span>shot</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Over the Bluetooth headset screwed into his ear, Natasha said dryly, "For your information, Eddie? I did shoot him. Keep your head in the game."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom took over Eddie's vocal cords long enough to say, </span>
  <b>"I think your plan is fine."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thanks, V." she replied, grin audible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Traitor." he muttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Look. People are watching us.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie looked around the bustling sidewalk. Maybe one in every ten people flicked their gaze over his face, a shadow of worry passing over their own faces. After all, his face was still being plastered over the news several times a day, plus he had seen it on two seperate newspaper front pages. People were self-absorbed, but something got through, especially the once again public meltdown of one of their local minor celebrities.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Look over there.</b>
  <span> Venom rumbled. </span>
  <b>Someone is actually calling the police.</b>
  <b>
    <em> Finally</em>
  </b>
  <b>.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie had pretended not to notice as a few people surreptitiously snapped photos of him, but this was the first time someone was openly calling the police. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grinned charmingly at her, to put her at ease. It’s not like he was going to do anything to </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She blanched and spoke faster as he passed. He got the suspicion that his teeth had perhaps been sharper than a human’s usually were. He ran his tongue over his teeth. They were blunt and square, perfectly normal again. He growled a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom snickered. Despite everything, they were enjoying this part.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie got another block before the first sirens became audible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, there are a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Keep it together."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, I'm together."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now he could see blue and red lights flashing ahead. He grit his jaw.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom fluttered around his heart reassuringly. He pulled a hand from his pocket to rub his chest. He could feel excitement that wasn't his flicker through him. He hadn’t realized how bored Venom had been getting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Traffic was now pulling to the side and the pedestrians were mostly finding somewhere else to be. There were a few exceptions pulling out their phones and settling in to film and get their five minutes of fame.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie stopped walking. He gave himself a little shake and blew out a long breath. This was going to suck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first police cars came screeching to a halt. Their doors immediately swung open and cops crouched protectively behind them, guns drawn. He smelled the sharp reek of burnt rubber.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Eddie Brock! You are under arrest! Hands in the air! Now!" screamed a cop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey guys." Eddie drawled, his accent thickening a little. "Would ya mind pointing those, uh, somewhere else?" He slowly raised his hands to shoulder height.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom grumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good, Eddie. Just keep following what they tell you to do. We're nearby. We will keep following you. Just remember, don't make a move until more of Hydra reveal themselves." Nat said soothingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Did I mention that I don't like this plan?" he asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Yes. Seven times now.</b>
  <span> As was the plan, Venom yanked the Bluetooth headset out of his ear and the phone from his pocket to hide them in their own mass. It wouldn't do them any good if they were confiscated. The phone was how Natasha, Steve and Sam were going to track them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Three police officers crept out from behind their car doors to approach Eddie. Two kept their guns trained on his face while the third got out his cuffs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Their hearts are beating wildly. They are afraid of us. Smell their </b>
  <b>
    <em>fear</em>
  </b>
  <b>.</b>
  <span> Venom purred.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sniffed. Yup. There was that particular metallic smell that he now knew to be terror. He hadn't been able to pick it up before Venom, but he was quite well acquainted now. It made him </span>
  <em>
    <span>hungry</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cop hesitated only a moment before seizing his wrists and twisting his arms behind his back. His joints popped in protest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie yelped. "Could you be less rough? Jesus fucking Christ on a cracker. We're not even resisting!" Irritation spiked through him, overriding his earlier apprehension. He decided to default to shit disturber mode to deal with the situation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The handcuffs were secured, the metal biting into his skin hard enough to bruise. Hands grabbed his shoulders and pushed. He was about to start walking forwards when a foot hooked around his ankle. Eddie pitched forward with a squawk. His face impacted the sidewalk, nose flattening with a crunch and a blinding bolt of agony. Stars flooded his vision, leaving him senseless for a moment. Blood gushed over the sidewalk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eddie!</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still completely stunned by the pain of his nose breaking, Eddie felt the cops roughly frisking him. His nose cartilage crunched as Venom immediately healed it, absorbing the blood flooding his sinuses. He blinked and turned his head to the side. He'd had his nose broken once before and it was not an experience he ever wanted again, but this had passed so quickly he hadn't even had time to scream.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, most people buy me dinner first."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Shut </span>
  <em>
    <span>up</span>
  </em>
  <span>." the cop currently groping around his ass snarled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Just sayin'. Oh! Oh, yeah. Right there… Mmm…" Eddie moaned obnoxiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Should I nip his hand? Be funny if our ass bites.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"He's clean." Hands gripped his collar and arms and a boot 'accidently' connected with his side as the cops bent to haul him back to his feet. He grunted in pain. They shoved him towards one of the cars. Eddie stumbled a little as he sorted out his feet again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't we get our rights read to us? I know the drill, guys."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Yes. I have seen this on tv. They are off script.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Bunch of amateurs, huh babe?" Eddie ducked as they tried to ram his head into the door frame. "We've seen this one too. Dirty fuckin’ move, guys." The door slammed after him. The police car almost immediately lurched into motion, heading to the police station. He tipped over, off balance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flailing like a landed fish, he tried to sit up. The seat of the cruiser smelled like </span>
  <em>
    <span>unspeakable</span>
  </em>
  <span> things. Venom pushed him upright and stuck him to the seat enough that he didn't topple again when the car careened around a corner. Then they got to work unlocking the handcuffs. It didn't take long; by now they knew how the locks worked so it took them just long enough to analyze how the tumblers differed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie brought his hands in front of himself and rubbed his reddened wrists. "Hey, just so you know, I'm gonna write an article about you guys and police brutality, so have fun with that. Can I get your names?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Like you'll have a chance. You're gonna go away for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>long</span>
  </em>
  <span> time. Besides, cop killers fall down an awful lot. Sometimes they don't get back up again." the one in the passenger seat snarled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie snorted and snapped, "That wasn't us. Isaac gave his </span>
  <em>
    <span>life</span>
  </em>
  <span> for us. Maybe you should take a look at the other cops you work with. Yeah. That’s right. You’ve got dirty cops working with you. I’ve even got some </span>
  <em>
    <span>names</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Shut up, dude. He's just trying to get a rise outta you." the driver growled, eyes locked on the road.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Natasha, Steve and Sam are still following us. Everything is going to plan.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah. Still don't like this." He didn’t give a shit anymore. He’d talk to his other all he wanted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Relax.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Babe? I'm not gonna relax until we're back home."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I could eat some of the stress chemicals.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sighed and flopped back. "Please don't. I want to have the right reactions for whatever happens next."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Fine. Tastes bad, though.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, deal with it. It's not fun on my end either. I’ll let you know if I change my mind."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just then a loud bang jolted Eddie's attention back outward. His head snapped forwards.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Would you stop fucking talking to yourself, you goddamn loony?!" the cop in the passenger side spat, fist raised threateningly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We'd talk to you, but we don't feel like using small words." Eddie replied sweetly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>His brain just bounces from one side of his skull to the other… Slowly.</b>
  <span> Venom said with a snicker.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie huffed in amusement. “He should try renting out the space. Like seriously, I know a guy that’s renting out a walk-in </span>
  <em>
    <span>closet </span>
  </em>
  <span>for a grand, so I bet he could get a couple hundred bucks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eddie, am I renting out your body?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He put his head to the side, thinking. “It’s more like cohabiting, I guess. Mi, uh, body es su body.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>We would have to pick up his brain with a </b>
  <b>
    <em>toothpick</em>
  </b>
  <b>.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie grinned and replied, “No, </span>
  <em>
    <span>tweezers</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the rest of the ride to the police station, Eddie and Venom traded quips about the cop's tiny brain while the one driving tried to keep his partner from erupting.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>While there were police stations closer to where Eddie was picked up, apparently someone wanted them taken to the main one, right in the heart of San Francisco. Everything really </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to plan, at least so far.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They went to open the car door and saw that Eddie was sitting there, uncuffed. He smiled widely and waved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Wish we had popcorn.</b>
  <span> Venom said wistfully as they watched the two officers get in a short but intense argument about the state of their prisoner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, they cuffed him tightly again, checking them not once, not twice, but three times.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were brought in through a side door. A cluster of officers were waiting in the hallway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"A welcoming committee? For us? You shouldn't have." Eddie said as his eyes traced over the walls and ceiling. No cameras. He blew out a breath as the cops started towards him. "Gonna be like this, huh?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom shifted within him and looked through his eyes. </span>
  <b>Eddie? What are they going to do?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie didn't answer, mouth set in a grim line. The hands gripping his shoulders tightened. The first cop to reach him balled up his fist and drew it back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Milliseconds before the punch could connect with his stomach, Venom snarled in his head and flowed out through the skin over his abdomen in a thin but tense layer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of a gut punch that knocked the wind out of him, it was a diffuse blow, still hard enough to send him rocking back, but it didn't hurt. At least, it didn't hurt him. His attacker bellowed like a bull and reeled back, clutching his hand. It was already swelling up like a balloon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oof. Broke your hand, didja?" Eddie said with a laugh. "Maybe rethink the police brutality? You can just </span>
  <em>
    <span>tell</span>
  </em>
  <span> everyone you beat us up."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But from the expressions on their faces, they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to just put him in a quiet jail cell and leave off. They descended.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom roared in frustration and anguish as the police officers beat up sweet Eddie. This wasn’t fun anymore. They were able to armor up his body, protecting his organs, but not his face. When Natasha came up with this plan she had said this sort of thing was a possibility. Eddie and Sam had agreed. Steve had sat with quiet rage, muscles jumping in his cheeks. So Eddie made Venom promise they wouldn’t come out, no matter what. The only time they would be allowed was if Eddie was about to die. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. It felt like they were allowing people to hurt their host. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few ineffective body blows, the cops attacking Eddie realized they weren’t having an effect. So they switched to his face, taking turns trying to ring his bell like a prize fighter. Eddie’s nose broke for the second time that day. He screamed this time and got a fist in the mouth for his trouble.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How d’you like that? Huh? Not so pretty now.” panted one, shaking out his fist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie spat two teeth and a stream of blood at him. Despite his rapidly swelling eyes, his aim was good, streaking the bloody saliva down the front of his shirt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuckin’ </span>
  <em>
    <span>gross</span>
  </em>
  <span>… Gimme a turn.” This next cop worked Eddie’s head over like a speed bag until he sagged in the grip of the two officers holding him. Then they dragged his unconscious body to a jail cell, flinging him in like a sack of laundry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck you, cop killer.” one spat as they left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The attack had been brutal, but brief. Venom hoisted Eddie into a sitting position, unlocked the handcuffs and turned their attention inwards, flowing through his blood vessels to his brain. Another concussion. They soothed the bruising on his brain, working carefully and slowly to repair the torn blood vessels. His brain was sparking erratically as it tried to come back online.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Working on Eddie's brain always made them nervous; it was so delicate and everything that made Eddie </span>
  <em>
    <span>Eddie</span>
  </em>
  <span> was in there in an intricate mesh of neurons, glial cells and more. Once again, it struck the symbiote as a terrible design. The fact that an entire person’s self was contained in an admittedly delicious sack of water and chemicals was ridiculous. How had that evolved so many times in the galaxy? The wrong kind of damage could completely warp or even destroy a human's personality. Venom could be reduced into only a small knot of tissue but as long as they had a host, they'd grow back just the same eventually. It seemed much better to them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie regained consciousness quickly once his brain was healed. He tried to open his eyes and move against the gentle hold Venom had on his muscles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Don't. Both of your eyes are damaged. Let me heal you first.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"... 'kay." he managed through his lacerated, swollen mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The symbiote healed his blackened eyes and knit the bone of his right eye socket and cheek together. They sealed contusions and absorbed bruises. They re-rooted a few loose teeth, then hesitated. They had never </span>
  <em>
    <span>regrown</span>
  </em>
  <span> teeth before. Well, not human teeth. Venom could endlessly produce their own teeth in a nightmarish conveyor belt. They spent a few minutes examining Eddie's existing teeth before beginning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was slow work, but eventually the symbiote mentally stood back, admiring their work with pride. Eddie was good as new again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wiggled his jaw back and forth and probed at his teeth with his tongue, gingerly inspecting his other's work. "Thanks, love."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>No problem. Didn't like that part of the plan.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah… me neither. They're a lot more pissed than I expected. I haven’t had a beating like that since those fucking gangsters." He wiped at the drying blood on his face with his coat sleeve.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom hummed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Have you heard anything from Nat?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Not in a while. Do you want the headset?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nah. We'll just have to sit tight until Hydra decides to make a move."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Bored of waiting.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie got up and wandered around the six by seven cell. "We don't exactly have any other options."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I know. I want to hunt though. It has been too long.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cell had only a stainless steel toilet/sink combo and a thin mattress on the floor with no blanket. At least they hadn't been put in the bigger communal cells. Eddie would have been the focus of a lot of attention and he didn't feel like chatting with curious or hostile strangers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We probably won't be here too long. Those Hydra idiots are probably panicking right now, trying to figure out how to get us out without the straight cops getting suspicious."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Good. They will know much fear before we are finished with them.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie's prediction came true. Forty-five minutes later, Buckner walked in, followed by two other people in civvies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, asshole." Eddie said in greeting, sitting on the floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner glared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So, do we get our rights read to us yet? Are we getting an initial interrogation? 'cuz I've been arrested before and I know the way it's supposed to go."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner jerked his head to the other two men. They advanced on the cell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie smiled, sharp and gleaming white. "That's brave of you. Do they know what we can do?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah. They do." He pulled a small black device out of his pocket and pointed it at Eddie. It looked somewhat cobbled together, with exposed wires and visible soldering. "This is a sonic emitter. It fires a concentrated cone of sound. I can adjust volume and frequency. If you do anything other than cooperate, I set this off and you'll get to watch your little alien melt out of you onto the floor."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Always with the sound threats. Kind of tiresome by now, right V?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Yes.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"They could be a little more creative. Maybe threaten to send out your browser history or something."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh shut the fuck up. Stand up and put your arms behind your back."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie followed the orders, rolling his eyes. They shackled his arms behind his back with significantly beefed up manacles. "Did you know that being tied up is a huge turn-on for me?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ugh. Get moving."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So what are the other cops gonna think when they see you marching us out? That'll be an awful lot of explaining."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One of the other men piped up, "He has the cameras looped. You're just gonna disappear." He prodded Eddie forwards, towards the hall where he had been beaten.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Buncha slobs. Our blood is still all over the floor and walls. Oh look! My teeth!" Eddie commented as he passed by. “They should clean that up. Blood can spread diseases. Well, not </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> blood, but y’know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Shut </span>
  <em>
    <span>up</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, you're still driving the rape van!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Hydra goons growled and locked him into the back of the van.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So you're awfully cheerful." Buckner commented suspiciously. "No threats like last time?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, we're absolutely gonna do </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrible</span>
  </em>
  <span> things to you. We've just had some pretty shitty last few days." Eddie replied, which didn't really answer anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they drove, he whistled an irritatingly bouncy tune that penetrated into the skull like a drill. He felt jittery with adrenaline that had nowhere to go.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Nat and the others are following us.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Holy </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>, if you don't stop that </span>
  <em>
    <span>right now</span>
  </em>
  <span> I'll pistol whip you into next </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking</span>
  </em>
  <span> week!" He raised a hand and said pistol threateningly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie stopped and flinched away. "Okay, okay. I'm stopping. Please don't give me another concussion. I've had, how many have I had?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Three in the last week.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I've had three this week, so that's a lot."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah? Well it's gonna be four if I hear another peep outta you during this drive." the guy sitting in the back said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sneered.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comments distract me from the nightmare we are currently in and spur me to write faster!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>How's everyone doing? Keeping busy? Staying safe?<br/>I'm a week into staying isolated and it's weird. I'm doing more drawing, I did a painting last night, did some writing...<br/>I might try some spicy drawings of Eddie and Venom, which I will link to from my tumblr if I do them.</p>
<p>TW: Violence, description of attempted suicide.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 19</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It took over an hour to get there, but the van containing Eddie and the Hydra thugs eventually reached its location. It was yet another goddamned start-up company, this time in Palo Alto. How many goddamn companies had links to fucking Hydra?! He craned his head to read the sign. Nexboost. It looked fairly large, so it must have been around for a while. It wasn’t quite as big as the sprawling Life Foundation, but it was impressive enough.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A heavily armed squad of what had to be more Hydra soldiers were waiting near the rear receiving doors of the place. This was more than he’d seen in one place before. They were hard looking men, scarred and tough. Eddie figured them to be mostly ex-military.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good luck getting away this time, Brock. Every gun in that squad is loaded with incendiary rounds and everyone has a sonic device. Now get moving.” Buckner prodded Eddie in the back with a pistol.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie flipped him off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In retaliation, Buckner touched his thumb to the button of the sonic emitter in his left hand and turned it on, just a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sound wasn’t very loud, but it was perfectly tuned to the frequency that set his nerves on fire. Eddie jolted like he’d been hooked up to a battery. A strangled yell forced its way out of his throat and his legs buckled. He could feel his other begin slipping, tearing, pulling loose. But then, mercifully, Buckner shut it off. Eddie panted, hunched on his knees, still shaking from the agony.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s just a taste of what these babies can do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie was hauled back to his feet and he continued on, muscles still twitching once in a while. Venom quaked inside him like jelly, clinging painfully tightly to his internal organs, knotted up in a tangle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once they were past the receiving bay, the building opened up into a large and spacious atrium. It was slickly designed, all hard angles. Polished concrete, organically twisted steel and bamboo panels united in an ultra-modern design that still resembled a prison. It must have been meant to seem airy, but it was oppressive as hell to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie hadn’t heard of this one, but that didn’t mean anything. There were dozens upon dozens of companies in the Bay area, with more springing up like the mushrooms in the corner of their old bathroom all the time. His eyes raked over everything hungrily, snatching up every bit of information possible. The fact that Hydra brought him and Venom here said it had laboratory space, so his first estimation was that it was anything in the spectrum from chemistry to medical, but he hadn’t ruled out weapons making either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After being brought into an elevator and reading the labels on the floors, he decided they must be making drugs and chemical weaponry here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>They planned much better this time. This is… A lot like the Life Foundation.</b>
  <span> Venom said, worry lacing their deep voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, there’ll be big labs here.” Anxiety churned in his guts. What if three ex-Avengers weren’t good enough? There were over a dozen heavily armed goons here and probably more deeper inside. And who knows what kind of security the company had? The Hydra soldiers were actually kind of competent, even though they had initially underestimated Venom. The thing was, all they had to do was make the symbiote too afraid to come out and they could do nearly anything to Eddie. There was a limit, of course, where they could hurt Eddie too badly and force the symbiote to make an appearance, but it hadn’t happened yet. The door chimed open onto the sixth floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After being taken down some more twisting hallways, they reached their destination. It was a large lab, fitted with two glass clean rooms. Myriads of computers and high tech equipment threatened to spill off the desks that held them. Near one of the rooms was a disorganized mess. Wires coiled like worms out of open panels and packing peanuts had scattered across the floor from a tipped over cardboard box. A cluster of labcoat wearing scientists looked up from the mess. One, who had to be the most senior, stepped forward, pudgy face creased with stress.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You brought him here already? We’re not done yet!” His hands wrung together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, hurry up and finish. I don’t have all fucking night.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But… We </span>
  <em>
    <span>told</span>
  </em>
  <span> you not to come yet! All the sonic things put us behind!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This kind of thing has a limited window of opportunity. If I left him in the police cells much longer, they were going to start the legal process and Hydra’s job would be much harder. So, get a move on.” Buckner’s voice turned from conversational to deep and threatening. His hand brushed the grip of his pistol.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“... We’ll do our best. You can get him in the room at least.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The thugs behind him steered Eddie towards the glass room everyone was clustered around. There was no chair in it. There didn’t need to be. The glass was thick, likely blast resistant. Even masked, they’d have a hell of a time getting out. Whatever these rooms were actually intended for had to be dangerous.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With every step closer, terror grew in his stomach and pulsed through their bond. The cavalry could show up any time. Really.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He longed to ask them what their ETA was, but that would mean revealing the headset, phone and the fact they were planning an ambush.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stepped first one foot, then the other into the glass prison. He felt like he was moving in slow motion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door hissed shut with finality behind him. The scientists activated the controls to seal the doors. He could feel/hear a deep pulsing noise from whatever was pressurizing the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By this point, the symbiote was a quivering blob deep in Eddie’s abdomen. He felt like he was going to vomit, mouth gone very dry. He was cold and clammy and he felt like he wasn’t getting enough air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you get a move on? I don’t trust him to keep behaving. Brock’s been acting very weird.” Buckner snapped to the lead scientist, eyes not leaving Eddie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m… I’m going as fast as I can. These rooms aren’t really intended for locking up prisoners. They take time to seal properly, not to mention the other equipment isn’t finished being set up yet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Eddie… I’m scared…</b>
  <span> A tendril emerged with a tingling sensation and tenderly traced Eddie’s cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m scared too, love.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their voice was small in his head. </span>
  <b>Don’t want to be separated.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me neither. If we get separated, I’ll come for you. No matter where they put you.” His ears popped as the door sealed fully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Love you.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s very touching an’ all, but that’s unlikely.” Buckner drawled, sounding muffled behind the glass. “You see, once we rip that alien outta you, you’re gonna get a bullet in your brain and then go for a swim in the Bay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie swallowed spasmodically as his gorge threatened to rise. “Man, you are one of the biggest assholes we’ve ever met.” he choked out instead. “Babe, could you eat some of my stress chemicals? I can’t like this.” he added in a murmur.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His fear and anxiety faded into the background, not totally gone but he could ignore it, especially if he got mad instead. He could lose his shit later. He needed a clearer head right now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner sneered. “You think I care about your opinion? I’ll put up with pretty much anything to get ahead. People like you are why Hydra needs to exist. You poke and prod where you aren’t supposed to and stir shit up. You’re a sticking up nail and Hydra is the hammer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie paced the small room. “Do you practice that kind of shit in front of the mirror or does Hydra send out a packet when they recruit you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner flipped him off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I think I figured out how to unlock the cuffs. Very complicated locks. Not going to wait for Natasha any longer.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The manacles clicked and loosed. Eddie let them drop to the floor with a bang. He brought his arms back in front of himself, rolling his aching shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you hurry it up?!” Buckner snapped again at the scientist, who flinched away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie would have felt sorry for him if he didn’t work for fucking Nazis. If he hadn’t been putting together the way to strip Venom out of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It’ll be literally five minutes more, if this works. You could have given us more time to adapt everything and then you wouldn’t be waiting here now. We’re still hooking up the sound system and the storage unit for the symbiote.” he replied reproachfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The longer it takes, the more likely that </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> will get out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Indeed, black tendrils were spooling out of Eddie, tracing the edges of the door, learning the seal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Fuckner-HA! Why didn’t we think of that earlier, babe?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Too busy worrying about dying?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, probably. Your Hydra assholes here are kind of bad at their jobs, did you know that? How the fuck did you guys manage to pull threads behind the scenes for this long?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner scowled. “Hydra has been weakened, it’s true. But we are still here and we grow more powerful with every day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The symbiote wrapped up Eddie’s hands and he started probing in earnest at the door seal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t look like it. You just have a bunch of shithead scientists in a bunch of different companies futzing around with your money. Lemme guess, they’re promising big things in ‘five to ten years’? Did you know we didn’t even mean to start hunting you fuckers down and we still managed to eat at least seven of you? We figured they must have been important, being billionaires and all, but it was actually pretty easy. Is this where Hydra puts the members that eat the metaphorical glue?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The scientist blanched when Eddie mentioned eating people and flipped a switch. Nothing happened. Cursing, he opened up a panel, revealing a knot of wires. He started probing at the connections with a small device.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Hydra cell here was not intended to be combat oriented. They provide funding to tech companies so they operate in our favour and steer the companies towards things we can use. You didn’t come up against the masterminds and top soldiers. Those are elsewhere. San Francisco is not the front lines. But because </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> am the one who caught you and the symbiote, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> will be moving up in the ranks. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> won’t be babysitting scientists and playing at being a cop any longer. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll</span>
  </em>
  <span> be moving onto bigger, better things.” He preened like a peacock, basking in his own self-importance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, right. We don’t think anyone trusts you. I mean, the Shiptons figured out we were coming for them and they didn’t tell anyone, as far as we can tell. Seems like no one in this Hydra cell trusts each other.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner coloured. “That was a mistake they paid for with their lives. The Shiptons were idiots that were only useful as piggy banks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They didn’t even hire Hydra as security, or we probably would have had a harder time killing everyone. Seems like the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I </b>
  <b>
    <em>think</em>
  </b>
  <b> I figured out the seal. If we dig in here, we can pop the seal.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A guy in body armor strode purposefully up to Buckner and tapped on his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not now! Brock, you don’t know anything about Hydra. You-What?!” he snarled as the guy tapped his shoulder again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There are intruders in the receiving bay. We have reports of shots fired.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner turned purple with rage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You fucking suck, Fuckner. We got you monologuing!” Eddie chortled gleefully, pressing his hand hard into the door seal. Black tendrils began worming their way into the white rubber.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-I’ve got it!” the scientist yelped, pressing his thumb triumphantly onto the button.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie’s relief soured and curdled as the containment unit set into the wall hummed open, milliseconds before agonizing sound poured out of the speakers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He collapsed and screamed, clutching at his ears, though that didn’t do anything to help. Venom roared in his head, grasping desperately at his flesh even as they slipped loose. Tears streamed down his cheeks, cutting channels through the dried blood on his face. His nerves felt like they had caught fire, like someone was pouring acid along them. The agony seemed to go on for forever. Eddie writhed, tasting blood in the back of his throat and then the pain abruptly stopped as his other tore loose. Now the sound was only vaguely irritating. Arms shaking, he pushed himself upright, looking frantically around for the symbiote.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There Venom was, looking small and vulnerable, a tar-black mass that twisted and quaked, pseudopods dragging it towards the only place that offered shelter from the killing sound waves. The containment unit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie wailed and dove for Venom, weak as a kitten. He was too slow. His other vanished into the container, which sealed itself. The sound cut off immediately. He could see the symbiote through a window in the side. Venom completely lacked anything resembling a face in this form, but he thought he could see them relax in relief as the sound stopped, before realizing what happened. They began madly flinging themself against the tube. If they had a voice in that form, they would have been screaming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He howled animalistically and gouged at the rubber gasket around the port the containment unit was hooked up to, breaking his fingernails as he tried to tear it open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buckner leaped over, tearing the unit away and shouted, “Follow me! We have what we want!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie was left alone on the floor.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha, Steve and Sam fought their way through the remaining Hydra soldiers to find Eddie curled on the floor of the glass cage, sobbing hysterically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Jesus. We're too late." Sam breathed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm getting him out of there." Steve declared. He clenched his fists, preparing to punch his way through.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nat stopped him. "You don't have your shield. You can't do that. Those rooms will stop a minor explosion." She raked her eyes quickly over the control panel, then tapped a button. With a hiss, the room depressurized and the door opened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie didn't look up. He was still wracked with deep, heaving sobs. He remembered the first time he had felt even close to something like this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had been in the aftermath of the rocket explosion. An ambulance had picked him up after he had staggered out of the water, shivering and hypothermic. He had been inconsolable and delirious on the ride to the hospital. Dr. Dan had taken charge of him for the second time that night, getting him into a private room. Eddie had no idea how many strings Dan had pulled in order to do that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie hadn’t been badly hurt, not physically. He had a concussion, bruising and lacerations but that was all. It had been easy enough to treat him for those.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mentally, Eddie was broken. He felt like someone had hollowed him out with a spoon. Even though he’d barely had Venom two days and had spent most of it terrified, his head felt too quiet. Venom had cared for Eddie and given their life for him. No one had </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> cared about him that much before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Distantly, some part of him knew his reaction was ridiculous, that he should just be able to pick himself up again and move on. He’d done it so many times before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He spent the first day in the hospital in a drugged up haze, sleeping or weeping. The second day he’d been taken off the medications and was due to be released that afternoon. He was numb, barely moving, speaking only when spoken to. When the nurse left with his uneaten breakfast tray, Eddie came to a conclusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d really hit rock bottom. He’d been disgraced in two separate cities, lost his job, lost his fiancee, lived in a shithole apartment and just lost the only thing that had ever made him feel properly whole, who had sacrificed itself for a failure like him. What could he do? How could he keep going through disappointment after disappointment, disgrace after disgrace? He </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a loser. Carl Brock had been right. Eddie was never going to amount to anything. Why bother spending who knows how long slowly drinking himself to death like he’d been doing? Maybe he had been dancing around this whole conclusion for the last six months. This would be quicker than dying in a filthy alley a few months from now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He got up and pushed the door closed, then walked into the bathroom. He’d slammed his elbow into the mirror and broken it, barely feeling the spike of pain after the blow, then gathered up a large triangular piece and sat on the toilet. After a brief introspection, he stuck out his left arm and slit right up the blue line of his vein. It burned coldly. His hand slipping in the blood on the shard of mirror, he performed the same action on his right arm, then leaned back, head on the wall and closed his eyes. Tears streamed silently down his cheeks. He listened to the patter of blood on the floor and waited to slip away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t. The nurse had come back to change the dressings on his wounds, saw the empty bed, glanced at the bathroom door and saw the shards of mirror glittering at her from the half-closed door. She burst in, took one look at the spreading pool of blood and screamed for help. He didn’t even have time to properly pass out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d been lifted onto a gurney, arms wrapped in towels. IV’s were hooked into his veins, bringing more blood, fluids and soporific drugs. He drifted away into a different kind of oblivion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hours later, Eddie had woken up again in a different room. His mouth felt cottony and dry from the sedatives. When he tried to sit up, he discovered his arms were heavily bandaged and tied to the sides of the bed. He was awake and alive and still alone. He sobbed, broken. He couldn’t even kill himself properly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Back then, he had thought Venom was dead. He'd only endured a week in suicide watch before they grew strong enough to speak again. Before he realized that he couldn’t just slip away. He had someone </span>
  <em>
    <span>else</span>
  </em>
  <span> inside him that needed him to live at least for a little while longer. Then he had grown to care for Venom, love them and then he had wanted to live again. Venom had decided they loved Eddie the night they nearly sacrificed themself for him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now he knew the symbiote wasn’t dead but was instead being taken away to be tortured in the name of science. Even though his limbs felt like they had been cast in lead, he forced himself to sit up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A broad arm wrapped around his shoulders and held out a handkerchief. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A fucking handkerchief.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Who carried a hanky in this day and age? Captain America apparently. He took it and wiped his streaming eyes and nose. “Thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Steve asked, still crouched beside Eddie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What a fuckin’ boyscout.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. They took V.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam stepped into the cage with Steve and Eddie. “I’m sorry we took so long. There was more resistance than we thought.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter. V’s gone and I’m gonna be alone forever.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve and Sam traded inscrutable looks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s get you out of this cage.” Steve said softly and helped him upright. He sat Eddie down on a computer chair. He slumped, staring out of glazed eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nat appeared to be ignoring everyone, working on a computer. Eddie felt a sudden pulse of resentment. She could at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>act</span>
  </em>
  <span> like she cared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a final loud tap on the keyboard, she stood back up and turned around. “Good news. They haven’t left the building.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie immediately felt shame over his reaction. His face grew hot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bad news is that this company has several high security floors. Good news is that there is only one entrance so we can booby trap it behind us to keep them from leaving. Bad news is that the high security floors are underground and there is a small army between us and where they have the symbiote.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great.” Sam muttered. “Want to give us any more emotional whiplash?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, if you want.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam groaned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nat held up a thumb drive. “I’ve introduced malware into the company’s computer system that will prevent them from accessing the internet and gaining access to all their security features. They have no cell phone reception down there and only an internal phone system, so they can’t call out for reinforcements right now.” Nat sighed. “It won’t take them too long to get past my malware though. They’ve got smart people on their side who’ll be able to get through it eventually. I’m not good enough to actively adapt it to counter their attacks once they discover it, so we have to get there as soon as possible.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie pulled himself together. He couldn’t fall apart right now. His lover needed him to be strong. He said raggedly, “They have V. I’ll walk barefoot into hell if that means I’ll get them back.” He couldn't deal with a lifetime without Venom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve nodded. “Let’s go. I’m going to take care of the Hydra members here first so they won’t flank us or cause problems later.” He strode over to the prostrate men, reaching under their jaws. Some he moved on from quickly. They hadn’t survived the attack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To Eddie’s shock and perverse delight, Steve pulled out a sidearm from a holster on his belt and put a bullet in the heads of those that had survived. Cap really did kill. This was the part of Captain America that the media never showed. Sam looked away while Steve performed that duty, looking unhappy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie got up. His legs trembled, but he bullied them into carrying him, forcing himself not to show weakness. He could see a dropped semi-automatic rifle that he wanted. He needed something if he was going to tag along with the ex-Avengers. He was a crap shot with a pistol, but could manage with a longer gun. Bending down to pick it up, he looked over to see the scientists cowering forgotten behind a desk. Their eyes locked for just a moment before Eddie let out a feral scream of rage and threw himself on them. He fought like a rabid wolverine. There was no artistry or thought behind his actions, only the intent to cause even a fraction of the hurt they had inflicted upon him when they ripped Venom out of his body. He bit and clawed, punched and kicked. He even headbutted someone before Steve dragged him away. They screeched in terror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re non-combatants. We don’t hurt them unless they attack us first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck you! They took V away from me! </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll kill them</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” He thrashed wildly, eyes bulging.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie, I know you’re feeling a lot of things right now. Don’t do anything you might regret later.” Sam said in the tone of a shrink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie howled, “Let me go! I won’t regret </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> of this! Those fucking fucks took my other away from me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Keep him away from us! He’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>crazy</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll show </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> fucking crazy!” Eddie lunged again, except Steve was still holding him in arms that were as giving as steel beams, so he just managed to wind himself. He wheezed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve started walking out into the hall, still carrying the enraged Eddie. “Tie them up.” he called over his shoulder. He set Eddie down a short distance away, but stood in front of him like a big stupid blue wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me past!” Eddie snarled, dodging from side to side like he thought he had any chance of running past Captain America.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. SHIELD will be notified and these scientists will be taken into custody to await trial. They aren’t important enough to deserve death.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few minutes later, Nat and Sam joined Steve and Eddie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should sit this one out, Eddie.” Sam said. “You aren’t enhanced anymore and this is too dangerous.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Excuse me? You’re not enhanced either. You just have a fucking jetpack with wings!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah and I also have years of training."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span> your training. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> to rescue V."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sam’s right. You’re vulnerable. Just wait and we can rescue V for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sam put his hands in his hips. "What if you get shot and die?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie glared daggers. "Fine. Get me a bullet proof vest off one of the dead guys. I need to be there."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Just let him." Nat said wearily. "The longer you argue, the harder this is going to be. Besides, Steve? You aren’t exactly rational around a certain somebody either. I heard this story where one time, you charged into a Nazi POW camp explicitly against orders for one man. You had exactly zero training. Love makes everyone stupid."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not the same…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes it is. If we let him come with us, at least we can look out for him. If we leave him, he’s gonna sneak in anyways and get hurt.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will do anything for my other.” Eddie said, chin stuck out aggressively.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve stared into Nat’s eyes for a long minute, before glancing away. He sighed. “Get him a vest.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What day is it, haha?! God, it's weird. I wish spring would at least show up so I could enjoy the outdoors. But it's cold and snowy and it feels like winter is never going to leave.<br/>I posted some spicy art on my tumblr, linked in my profile.<br/>TW: Violence and cannibalism.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 20</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie grinned humourlessly, decked out in his minimally blood spattered best, carrying his gun. V was somewhere on the other side of this door. He'd only be alone a </span>
  <em>
    <span>bit</span>
  </em>
  <span> longer. Then Buckner would regret everything in his life that led him here. He imagined that asshole's smug face flipping into fear and agony as he and his other began ripping into Buckner's abdomen. Organs would be plucked, soft and dripping from his body and rent between their needle-sharp teeth. His blood would-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-"Hey, should we be worried about the way he's smiling? 'cos that ain't normal." Sam said after glancing over at Eddie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, he's fine. Just wait until you see his grin later." Nat replied, affixing a detonator to the plastic explosives she'd placed in strategic points around the door. "Okay, get back."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They retreated behind a concrete pillar. The dull </span>
  <em>
    <span>krumph</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the explosion rocked through the room, feeling like a hand pressing on Eddie's ribcage. He peered around the corner. Smoke drifted away, revealing the steel door hanging off its hinges.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve immediately went charging in, firing his pistol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh my </span>
  <em>
    <span>god</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Rogers! You don't have your goddamned </span>
  <em>
    <span>shield</span>
  </em>
  <span> anymore; you can't </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> that aaaand he's not listening…" Sam began before running in himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>More shots cracked as Nat slipped in like a greased eel, leaving Eddie the only one peeking past the pillar. Not wanting to be the only one left, he yelled and leaped through the doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he cleared the last of the roiling smoke, he saw he was too late. The fight was already over. It had been a short, but brutal hallway fight. Four Hydra soldiers lay dead on the ground. Bullet holes peppered the walls. The ex-Avengers didn't even look ruffled. Eddie scowled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry. You'll get your chance." Nat said, slotting little gadgets back in place over her wrists.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie grunted. He felt stupid, like he'd only been allowed along to prove a point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who's got the proximity explosives?" Sam asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I do." replied Steve, snapping open a pouch on his belt. He lifted out a handful of gunmetal grey discs and began sticking them around the door frame. Unlike something from the movies, they had no blinky lights and blended in fairly well. The big, blonde man held up a small remote and pressed a button. "There. Unless they get this remote and deactivate those, the next person to go through the door is going to have a really bad day."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They started down the hallway. It was long and mostly featureless. At the end was an elevator. It was plain and industrial, lacking the modern styling of the rest of the building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there any other way down? I'd prefer not to take the elevator.” Sam asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha snorted. “Well, there </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> stairs…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? And what’s the bad news?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They have the ability to seal the stairwell and flood it with cyanide gas. My malware should have locked them out of that, but I don't know for how long. The elevator is currently functional though and it has less worrisome defenses."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay, elevator it is."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The secure facility was a basement located six stories underground and continuing for another four levels in increasing security. They cautiously approached the steel box. Steve found one camera in the ceiling and crushed it flat with his gauntlet. Shaking his hand free of the plastic shards he waved the rest of them in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What floor?" Steve asked, a note of humour in his voice. There was only one option. To reach the other, more secure floors required a separate, higher security elevator located at the bottom. He pressed the button. They all stood awkwardly as it began to glide downwards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie jittered from foot to foot. His anxiety was spiking, leaving his guts twisted in knots and his heart pounding like he'd run a marathon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam shot him a couple glances, but his earlier discomfort at Eddie was overridden by his concern. "You doing okay, Brock?" Sam asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes. No. I can't… I'm not supposed to be alone. It's </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I need V and all… all I can think right now is what they're doing to them."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They won't be doing anything right now." Natasha replied reasonably. "They're collectively shitting their pants right now because I've locked them out of most of their security systems and they know what we do to Hydra cells."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your symbiote will be safe right now. Hydra won't do anything to hurt them. V is too valuable. We have time."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie's skin crawled. Venom was so much more than a scientific curiosity or an investment. They were a </span>
  <em>
    <span>person</span>
  </em>
  <span> as much as anyone else was. It didn't matter that the alien was amorphous most of the time. They had likes and dislikes, things they wanted to do. A personality. How anyone could just ignore that in favour of </span>
  <em>
    <span>profit</span>
  </em>
  <span> was disgusting to Eddie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Deep breaths. Don't spiral into a panic attack now." Sam said, concern lacing his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie closed his eyes and squeezed his hands on his gun. He focused on the cool metal instead of his internal turmoil. He opened his eyes again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good. Now, just keep breathing. It's gonna get chaotic once we get to the bottom, so you need to be in the moment. Can you do that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Normally, Eddie would have something cutting to say about being treated so delicately, but right now he felt as raw as if his skin had been flayed. Everything felt slightly </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He hadn’t realized that his senses had been slightly boosted from hosting his symbiote. He felt like there was something dampening his whole experience of the world. He nodded hard, closing his eyes for a moment. They were going to rescue V and then everything would be right again up. Hydra was holed up like rats and they were coming to get them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the elevator shuddered to a halt and the lights shut off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What happened?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They got control of the elevator back."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only light was from the glow of the buttons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What… what do we do now?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Find the access panel in the ceiling. We'll climb out and get the rest of the way down with the emergency ladder or the cables." Steve and Sam started poking at the ceiling. Nat started digging in her belt pockets. “I’ve got a flashlight in here… Somewhere...” She swore in Russian.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie looked up. He cast his eyes around until he saw the panel in the rear right of the ceiling. "There it is." He pointed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where?" Steve asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There. That panel."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve groped at the ceiling. He missed the panel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How can you not see that? It's right there!" Eddie snapped. "Lemme get past you." Straining, he popped it out. Deeper blackness loomed above. "There! It's not hard to see, guys."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Eddie," Nat began. "we can't see anything right now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What? I mean, it's dark, but it's not that bad…" Eddie said, confused. Comprehension dawned. "V changed my eyes. I didn't think… I can see in the dark still!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good. Now, help me find my flashlight and let's get moving." She cocked out her hip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Feeling a twinge of awkwardness, Eddie rummaged in the belt pouches until he pulled out a tiny flashlight the size of a thumb drive. He handed it to Nat. Then he tossed his gun onto the roof and reached up, grasping the edge of the hatch. He gave a little hop and chinned himself up, glad he was still working out with some regularity. He brought first one arm up and then the other and started heaving himself the rest of the way through, rocking his hips from side to side to get his legs clear. "I'm up." he hissed down, wiping his dusty hands on his pants.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam was up next, followed by Steve. Steve reached down through the hatch and effortlessly pulled Nat up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I could've gotten up myself." she said, shining her tiny flashlight around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're welcome." Steve replied with a half amused twist of his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smirked and stepped off the elevator and onto the ladder bolted to the side of the shaft. "Anyone else coming?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie picked up his gun and swung it on its strap behind him, practically leaping on the ladder. He was so close to V.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elevator shaft was eerily quiet. The only sounds came from the four of them climbing down. Eddie couldn't hear anything at the bottom. Not even rats.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they were all at the bottom, Steve strode over to the closed doors, neatly avoiding the elevator machinery on the floor that threatened to trip anyone unwary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Keep your light on the door, Natasha. Everyone else, get ready for a potential fire fight. Eddie, follow our lead. Positions!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam stood to one side of the doors. He took out a grenade, pulling the pin but still keeping the spoon in place. Eddie took the other side, Nat stood back and to one side, pistol held in one hand, steadied by the one holding the light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ready?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ten-four, Cap." Sam replied, releasing the spoon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve pried open the doors a gap. A shot pinged off the edge of the door in a spray of sparks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After letting the grenade cook another second, Sam tossed it through the gap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve released the doors, letting them close again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a muffled </span>
  <em>
    <span>crack</span>
  </em>
  <span> from the grenade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve hooked his fingers back in the door and hauled them open, standing to Eddie's side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam went in firing, Nat right behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay, Eddie, go!" Steve barked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flailing only a little, Eddie ran in, Steve right behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The grenade must have been a flash-bang as there was no damage. Instead there was a group of Hydra soldiers firing with the accuracy of Stormtroopers. Nevertheless, Eddie raised his gun and fired, teeth gritted. His opponent shuddered as a spray of bullets raked him from gut to shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie swore. The kick was more than he expected and he'd apparently left it on full auto. Glancing at the side of the weapon, he thumbed it off. The Hydra goon was already recovering. All of Eddie's shots had taken him in the vest. He shouldered his gun again and fired as the Hydra soldier did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie's shot caught his opponent in the leg. The Hydra soldier screamed. Something punched him in the upper chest, brutally hard. He staggered back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then Nat came out of nowhere, kicked the prostrate man in the face and shot him in the throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't aim for centre mass. Headshots if you can manage, or legs then head." she said in a clipped voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie gawped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three ex-Avengers advanced with deadly efficiency, clearing the room. They were taking no prisoners.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the acrid smoke cleared, Eddie leaned against the wall, adrenaline surging through him. He was suddenly aware of how vulnerable he really was. Sam was right. Eddie had no training; he wasn't even that great a shot. Not really. This was very different without a symbiote's strength and agility augmenting him, without V watching out for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, now what’s behind door number one?” Sam quipped, kicking open the first door. “Oh.” he added, disappointed. It was a cleaning supply closet, full of mops and brooms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door opposite the janitor’s closet was a security room. Unfortunately, Hydra had anticipated that someone on the team might be able to use it, so they had trashed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, still going in blind.” Nat groused. “I wish I would have had time to do proper reconnaissance first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam shrugged. “Could be worse. They haven’t had years to set up traps here. This isn’t too bad yet. Remember outside of Minsk?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grunted. "I'd rather not."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last door was locked and fitted with a keypad. Behind that one had to be the rest of the secure facility. Steve took a running start and kicked it open. He landed easily. Ahead stretched a wide hallway, lined with doors. Cameras dotted the ceiling, but so far there weren’t any other security measures.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everytime they passed under a camera, Eddie flipped it off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doors had nothing terribly exciting behind them. There were storage rooms, a break room, even a board room. There were several labs, filled with humming equipment. But after a perfunctory search, all were empty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They took the stairs down to the second level, propping open the door so it couldn’t lock behind them if Hydra decided to flood this stairwell with cyanide gas.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where the fuck is everyone?” Eddie asked as they began checking through more empty labs. These ones were noticeably higher level than the floor above, filled with fume hoods and glove boxes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nat glanced back. “My guess? They’re gearing up for some last stand situation. The previous squads we encountered were just to slow us down and give them more time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They know they’re stuck down here and they just want to take as many of us down as possible.” Sam added. “They must be kicking themselves for getting in this situation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve opened another door. Unexpectedly, this one had people in it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aaah! OhMyGodPleaseDon’tHurtUs!” blurted a small woman, hands raised. Three more faces, shiny with terror, peered out behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where have the soldiers gone?” Steve barked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know! Don’t kill us!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t kill you.” Steve said in a gentler tone. He lowered his pistol. “What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were here watching over a few experiments. You see, the chemical reactions take a long time and if we don’t titrate at the right time, then all our data will-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He held up a hand. “That’s fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on? Nobody told us anything… We heard gunshots, but no one answered when we called the security room.” she said, hands lowering a little. Her eyes narrowed, taking in Steve's battered uniform.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay in here. Don’t open the door. Everything should be over by morning.” Steve said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Hey, are you…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t we tie them up?” Eddie snapped. “What if they try something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t know if they’re Hydra or not. I’m leaning towards not. They certainly aren’t combatants though. We leave them.” Steve explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s lips curled in a snarl. The other three made to leave. Before he followed them, he growled, “Maybe when you get out of this, you should question where this company is getting it’s research funding from.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the third level, they found Hydra. They’d set up a blockade of tables in the wide hallway and started firing as soon as Steve opened the door from the stairs. Too soon. If they’d waited another beat, they could have riddled Captain America with bullets. Instead, they’d only warned him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve pulled a grenade free and threw it down the hall with unerring accuracy. It blew apart the barricade and Steve was off like a shot before the debris even finished falling. He leaped over the wreckage, kicking the first in a wave of Hydra soldiers in the face as they poured out of the two adjoining rooms. Sam and Nat threw themselves in with fervor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie found himself hanging back, still unsure of what to do with himself without Venom. The three ex-Avengers were incredible to actually see fighting. It was clear Sam wasn't the most comfortable fighting hand to hand. He was less adept at close combat so he came at his opponents brutally hard before they got a chance to break his guard. It was obvious he preferred to be up and above the danger and being down on the ground stressed him out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha’s fighting method was mostly ‘nope’. She was never where her opponents thought she’d be; instead she would rise up behind them and electrocute the shit out of them. Or she would kick off the wall and flip onto someone, using her momentum to bring them to the ground before finishing them off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve was ferocious and moved like a dancer, like he’d never get tired. He seemed to be able to anticipate his opponent’s moves before they were even aware of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three fought together with hardly a word but they never got in each other’s way. They just knew where each other were and worked together. It was like symbiosis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie only had a moment to gawp when a previously locked door behind them banged open, spilling more Hydra soldiers into the hall. He yelped and brought up his gun, wildly emptying his clip  and backpedalling frantically. “Behind you!” he yelled at the ex-Avengers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nat slipped past him, leaped, rebounded off the wall and crashed into the advancing group. Then she spun free, drew her pistols and fired into the off-kilter scrum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie reloaded, fumbling a little and took out two more. He found himself drawn into the middle of the chaos. He realized that they’d done that on purpose to keep him as safe as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually everyone abandoned their guns. The quarters were too tight and friendly fire was too likely. It devolved into a brawl. Here at least, Eddie knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He could fight dirty if he needed to. He'd done a little boxing, a little wrestling back in his college days, plus he'd been in a fair number of barroom fights. His gun became a handy club and his focus narrowed to what was in front of him, trusting his teammates to watch his back as he watched theirs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minutes or maybe hours went by until all the Hydra soldiers were down. Eddie was gasping for breath, shirt soaked in sweat. He wiped blood out of his eye (when did he get hit in the face? He didn’t remember…) and leaned against the wall. His knuckles were bloody and his hip and shoulder hurt from being slammed into the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nat still looked nearly perfect. The only sign she’d been in a fight for her life was slightly messy hair and a dainty streak of blood highlighting one cheekbone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve merely looked rugged and stolid, like he could have stepped out of a piece of wartime propaganda entreating you to do your part in the fight against the jerries.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam, at least, had the decency to look like he’d been fighting. His uniform had a tear and someone else’s blood on it. One eye was threatening to swell shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They spent a moment to check over themselves for any serious injury and to reload before opening the last door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Buckner stood in the centre of a group of seven remaining elite soldiers. He was dramatically holding V’s canister aloft, sonic emitter held against the glass. His arm trembled from the weight. He was probably regretting being dramatic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you dare take another step! Or I’ll kill the symbiote!” he warned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>V was swirling around restlessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie scoffed. “You won’t. You kill V and I’ll personally rip your throat out with my </span>
  <em>
    <span>teeth</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam glanced at Eddie, brow wrinkling slightly in concern. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve straightened. “He’s right. Keeping that creature alive is the only thing keeping </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“V’s a person.” Eddie growled out of the corner of his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.” Steve replied. “I didn’t mean it like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Put your weapons down!” Buckner snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about a different proposal?” Natasha countered. “You surrender and go to a nice, secure SHIELD prison. You keep your life. The food’s not too bad in there. No one tortures you and you even get to see a bit of the sky a couple times a month. How about that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one moved. Buckner’s arm began to shake in earnest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean it!” he yelled again, a note of desperation leaking into his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>V took the opportunity to begin wildly throwing themself from side to side in the canister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The human’s arm, already exhausted, lost its grip. Buckner scrabbled desperately and wrapped both arms around the canister, saving it from falling, but dropping the sonic emitter in the process. His face went white when he realized he’d lost his weapon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve stomped his boot onto the rim of a fallen Hydra soldier’s helmet, flipping it into his hand. He hurled it with unerring accuracy into the face of the nearest goon to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chaos erupted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie plunged into the fray, eyes only on Buckner. He tackled him, the canister going flying. It didn’t break when it landed, banging metallically and rolling a few feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Buckner punched Eddie in the cheek and threw him off. He rolled over and crawled after the canister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie recovered quickly and leaped back on top of his opponent’s back, flattening him. He sank his teeth into Buckner’s ear, doing his best to tear it off. The man screamed, reaching back to try and gouge Eddie's eyes out. Eddie reared back, then threw himself forward. He seized the handle on the canister and flung himself free of Buckner, kicking him in the face in the process. He swung his rifle forwards, forgotten until now. He placed the canister between his feet and took aim. Buckner tackled him again, trying to wrench the gun out of his hands. Eddie yanked back and smashed his forehead into Buckner’s nose, then kicked him off. He got the canister back between his feet and fired directly into the glass, which shattered. Blackness flowed out, unhurt by the lead slug. Tears streamed freely down Eddie’s face as Venom climbed up his body. He gathered up the blood-warm mass and pressed it to his face, inhaling the symbiote’s cucumber and copper scent. His skin tingled as the inkyness sank in.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Eddie.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Buckner’s struggles turned from trying to stop Eddie into trying to get away from Eddie as fast as possible as the man vanished into white webbed black. His ecstatic face vanished behind a tooth filled maw, huge white eyes swimming into place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A massive hand reached out and seized the front of his bullet-proof vest, yanking him off his back and onto his knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, please god, no…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom dragged him forwards, behind a huge lab bench. They hunched there, a vast, dark shadow.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Oh Fuckner… There is no god. No one to hear your pleas but us.”</b>
  <span> they rumbled, bringing his face nearly nose to nose with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To his horror, Buckner felt his bladder loose. Warm piss flooded down his legs. He was going to die soaked in his own urine.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Not so tough now? Do you remember what we said we would do to you?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“No no no no no…”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Alas, we do not have time for more protracted revenge. Our companions will be finished with your men shortly. They unfortunately do not share our zeal for, hm, creative vengeance.”</b>
  <span> They indicated the skirmish still happening behind Buckner with a toss of their head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The grinning jaws in front of him seemed to fill his entire vision. The world narrowed to just that red valley, rivers of drool flooding down the centre, ringed by jagged, white mountains of teeth. A great serpent of a tongue writhed in the centre.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“No pithy remarks? No? Nothing at all? We have to say, we are a little disappointed.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The valley widened. Now there was a black pit, yawning deeply in the centre. A foul, moist wind struck his face. He wanted to do something, fight or scream or cry, but he was paralyzed with fear. Needles ringed his neck, bright spots of pain before they bloomed into oblivion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They finished their meal and threw the headless corpse down behind them. Rising from their haunches, they stepped into the remainder of the battle. It was easy; everyone fighting was quite human and they didn’t have anything on hand that could hurt them. Venom fought with brutality; they yanked the first man over to them with a tentacle and smashed his face into the wall. They ripped their next victim’s throat out, reaching in from behind. After that, it was basically over. The ex-Avengers took down the last two Hydra soldiers quickly. It was finished.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comments are love.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm now on two weeks of extreme social distancing and I basically haven't been outside in a week because it's been cold as FUCK. Someday, spring will come, right? I've been baking so much bread.<br/>The numbers are finally starting to flatten here in Canada, so hopefully things will ease slightly soonish.<br/>How's everyone holding up?<br/>Tw: Sex, cannibalism mentions.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 21</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, it actually wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>entirely</span>
  </em>
  <span> finished. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Holstering his guns, Sam snapped, "What the hell was that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Hmm?"</b>
  <span> Venom hummed, before curling out their tongue and licking their face like a gecko. There were some stray drops of blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other man waved his arms. "You killed them!"</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Yes? You killed them too."</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Nat put her face in her palm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not like that! That was… that was cruel. Vicious."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom shrugged. </span>
  <b>"Either way, they are just as dead."</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve was wandering around, doing his normal check of the bodies, though every Hydra soldier was extremely dead so far.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve went to walk past Venom to where Buckner’s body lay behind the lab bench. The symbiote stepped in front of the blonde man. With an apologetic grin, they rumbled, </span>
  <b>“He is quite dead.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve frowned. “Step aside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stupid stupid! Now he’s suspicious!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eddie berated himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Venom,” came Nat’s weary voice. “Just follow orders.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom heaved a huge sigh and moved aside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve took a couple steps past him. They could hear the creak of his uniform as his muscles tensed back up again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Care to explain why he’s missing a head?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam set his jaw and moved back, hand going automatically to the butt of his gun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom half turned so they could watch everyone in the room. </span>
  <b>“He hurt us. Separated us. Killed </b>
  <b>
    <em>innocents</em>
  </b>
  <b>. Had to die for that.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah and why did that lead to you </span>
  <em>
    <span>biting off his head</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!” Sam spluttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cap fixed Venom’s pale eyes with the gimlet glare of his blue ones. Inside, Eddie was reminded of the time his favourite teacher in high school had caught him smoking up behind the dumpsters.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Let me take the blame for this.</b>
  <span> The symbiote silently told Eddie. </span>
  <b>Me, not us.</b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit shit shit, I don’t like this, love…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>“It was my fault, Steve.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He twitched up an eyebrow. “Me, not we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Yes. This is the symbiote speaking. I am not like you humans. Klyntar culture is more… Blunt. I forgot myself and reacted as if I was among my own people.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was told that you no longer…” Steve trailed off and stroked his beard. “That you no longer needed to eat human brains.” He flicked a glance to Nat, whose face remained impassive. She shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lie came easily to the symbiote. </span>
  <b>"I do not. It was an instinctive reaction."</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Within the warm embrace of his other, Eddie squirmed. He was terrified this was going to lead to another fight and he did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> want Captain America as their enemy. Why the fuck had they decided to eat Buckner's head?! They should have resisted the urge! They could have </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> killed him and it would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve and Sam continued staring at the tall symbiote. Venom stared back, face carefully blank.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve broke eye contact first. "Alright then. I believe you. Don't let it happen again."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, he turned away and nodded at Sam. He subsided.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Holy shit… We dodged a bullet there, babe…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>Yes.</b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jesus Christ… If he looks into anything further, we are absolutely FUCKED though.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>Then let us hope he does not.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They still had to climb up six stories to the surface, plus Steve warned them not to go haring off right away. He was concerned about any Hydra stragglers. Venom would have liked to explain what would happen to any Hydra members they encountered, but no. Gotta keep the eating people thing to a minimum around ol’ Captain America. Steve was still secretly suspicious. They could see it with every glance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam was openly distrustful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group moved cautiously through the empty halls of the building, heading towards the main atrium.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“It is safe. We don’t need to creep.”</b>
  <span> Venom explained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t know for sure. This is a big building.” Steve replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Well, we can’t sense anyone around.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Nat looked at them, frowning and pursing her lips. “How far can you sense?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom hummed. </span>
  <b>“Depends. Big open areas like this? Easy. Behind doors and walls, mmm, ten feet? Maybe more?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’ll trust you.” Nat straightened up and began walking more quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They met no one else at all, eventually stopping in Nexboost’s large parking lot. There was a rented motorcycle and an also rented black sports car. Those had to be how the ex-Avengers got here. Venom made an appreciative noise, inspecting the motorcycle. It was a Harley, a couple years old. It wasn’t really Eddie’s type of bike, but he could appreciate it nonetheless.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Who drove the bike?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did.” replied Steve. “I rode one a lot in the War. Got a taste for it.” He ran his hand lovingly across the seat. “It’s not as good as the bikes Tony supplied me with before, but it’s still nice to have the wind in your face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“We drive a Ducati Scrambler. Very fun.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve smiled a little. He had relaxed a little. “I like something with a bit more heft myself, but I can see why people like that type of bike.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam snorted. “He likes ‘em heavier since people tend to stay down longer after he hits them with his bikes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom grinned. </span>
  <b>“Really?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve only done that a couple times!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had to think fast. I use the tools at hand. Sometimes it’s my motorcycle." Steve countered.  "Besides, Tony needed projects to keep his mind occupied. He liked complaining whenever I totaled one and he loved tinkering with them. Even though he'd never admit it, he did.” Steve said, before a shadow passed over his face. He set his jaw and was stern Steve again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam clapped him on the shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boys and their toys…” Nat muttered and pulled out her phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom hunkered down onto their haunches near her, looking around and tasting the breeze with their twisting tongue. Apparently the rift between the Avengers was still a sore subject.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The phone was a twin of the fancy one she’d left in their old apartment. “So back when we were in the Avengers, after we did something like this, we’d have to help with a bunch of the clean up, plus we’d have to debrief and do paperwork.” She smirked. “It was probably worse than actually breaking into the damn place. Now that we’ve gone rogue, we either just blow up the place and leave it if it's in the middle of nowhere, or I call SHIELD and make them pick up after us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“If you are rogue, then why do you still contact SHIELD regularly?”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“We still have allies with them. There are people that look kindly on us still. Plus, there’s no way they would want to leave something like this just sitting around for anyone to start poking around in. They have to come. Shh! The phone’s ringing.” She walked off a few more steps to convince them to pick up after them yet again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They rolled their shoulders, bored. </span>
  <b>“We would like to go home. Would anyone oppose this?”</b>
  <span> Venom announced, standing up. They loomed above both Sam and Steve.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nat pressed the phone to her chest and called, “Uh, no. Your name hasn’t been cleared yet. Besides, I need to talk to you later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom grumbled, narrowing their eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam and Steve traded looks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve said, “You’re probably going to have to spend another couple days with us. It’s not as simple as just defeating the enemy and going home. There’s a lot to do still.” His mouth twisted in a moue. “Everyone always forgets that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Sam added. “By now the police will know you’re gone and they’re probably watching your apartment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Well, can we just go off a little ways? We need to talk to Eddie. Privately.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure. Just not too far.” Steve replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They pointed to a clump of trees in the landscaping to the side of the main Nexboost building. </span>
  <b>“We will be there. Tell us if you come near. We will be talking about private things.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam raised his brows. “Alright…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They prowled in amongst the trees, finding a stone bench nestled into the centre of the trees. They could smell stale cigarettes in the garbage can, but they didn’t care. Venom peeled mostly off of Eddie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit, I thought I’d lost you.” Eddie said, voice cracking a little. He gripped both sides of Venom’s floating head, staring into their milky eyes. He dragged it forward and kissed his other desperately, thrusting his shorter tongue into Venom’s mouth.</span>
</p><p><b><em>Eddie!</em></b> <b>Never. Knew you would come for me.</b></p><p>
  <span>“There was a moment I almost gave up. I felt… Broken.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom kissed Eddie back, wrapping tendrils around him. They touched him softly, roaming. Refamiliarizing themself with every inch of their host. In his chest, they fluttered around his heart. </span>
  <b>I will never leave you again.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>He broke apart, gasping breathlessly. “Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“I will always be here, inside you.”</b>
  <span> They touched his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> you inside me.” Eddie breathed, full mouth struggling to hold back an amused smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Eddie. That was terrible."</b>
  <span> Venom replied solemnly. </span>
  <b>"But yes. I would like to be inside you that way too."</b>
</p><p>
  <span>They thrust their tongue back into Eddie’s mouth. He sucked it deeper, inviting the symbiote to fuck his throat with it. He gagged a little, until his other suppressed the reflex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom let out a shuddery growl. Their tongue was incredibly sensitive.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>I love to hear you when I take you, when I do things to you no one else can. </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie tangled his fingers in strands of black.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>If anyone tries to tear us apart again, we will kill them.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie moaned and pressed the heel of his hand into his bulging crotch. The feeling of the fabric over the head of his cock felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>amazing</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but unsatisfying. He needed more.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>We will sink our claws into their flesh…</b>
  <span> They slowly writhed their tongue, deep in their host’s throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made a </span>
  <em>
    <span>filthy</span>
  </em>
  <span> noise around the tongue filling him up and rubbed harder.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Bite off their heads…</b>
  <span> Venom purred, puppeting Eddie over to the bench and bending him over so his hands rested on its cool surface. They pulled their tongue out of his throat with a slurp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie gasped raggedly. "Holy shit, V."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His cock throbbed in the confines of his jeans. He fumbled one-handed with the fly, popping open the button and practically ripping the zipper down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something like a hand tipped in claws grabbed the waistband of his jeans and boxers and dragged them down to his ankles. His cock sprang free. It ached less now that it was freed from his tight jeans. Goosebumps prickled over the skin of his ass as it was exposed to the cool, damp autumn air.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“We will feel their blood drip down our face, feel their meat filling our belly…”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>… Why is that so hot?" he groaned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A warm and very wet tongue licked down his crack and over Eddie’s asshole. He moaned loudly, sinking down until his chest rested on the bench. He spread his legs wider. The tongue’s rough surface sent every nerve ending tingling around his sensitive entrance. His cock twitched, smearing precum on his inner thighs and belly.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>We will always be together</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Eddie’s hole was fluttering under their tongue, Venom pulled it away, immediately replacing it with a sizeable tentacle. They pressed it into his ass. There was a moment where his hole resisted the blunt tip of the tentacle, but then the ring of muscles relaxed enough that it popped in. Eddie moaned like a bitch in heat as his unprepped hole stretched around Venom’s cock. He clapped one hand over his mouth, trying to muffle his sounds. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It hurt </span>
  <em>
    <span>so good</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His other kept driving their cock into him until it bottomed out. They let it rest for a moment, letting Eddie’s hole get used to the size. </span>
  <b>“We have you Eddie. Never going to let us be separated again.”</b>
  <span> They pulled out slowly, Eddie’s asshole stretched pink and tight around the black shaft, reluctantly releasing it. </span>
  <b>“You are </b>
  <b>
    <em>mine</em>
  </b>
  <b>, Eddie.”</b>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, they snapped their cock back into him, hard enough that his chest slid a little on the bench.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie squealed and gripped the bench tightly with his left hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His other set up a punishing pace, their mass slapping against Eddie’s pale flesh. Venom dug claws into his hips, holding him tight. They growled above him as Eddie made the most endearing muffled sounds behind his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie was already keyed up and being taken like this in what was basically </span>
  <em>
    <span>public</span>
  </em>
  <span> brought him to the brink quickly. Venom’s cock was squarely hitting his prostate every time. His own cock was leaking like a tap, bouncing against his legs and belly with every thrust, leaving them covered in precum. The pleasure was so intense, setting his nerves alight, nearly too much. His balls felt heavy, drawing up against his body. Finally, he made a desperate noise and came untouched all over the bench. He jerked and twitched as Venom milked every drop out of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The symbiote growled ferally, shivering as Eddie’s pleasure fed back through their bond, bouncing between them until they wanted to scream themself. They felt themself collapse, carried away by a tide of delicious hormones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beneath them, Eddie collapsed too, dropping to his knees as the last aftershocks rippled through his body, his hole gaping and twitching around nothing. Pale fingermarks on his face turned livid as he panted.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Mine</em>
  </b>
  <b>.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few minutes later, Eddie tottered out of the trees. His hole throbbed with every step; Venom’s saliva wasn’t as good as actual lube and his other had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>rough</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Deliciously rough. He hadn’t let Venom heal him though. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> to feel it. It was a reminder that he had his lover back and he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> letting them go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam, Steve and Nat were standing in a circle. Eddie immediately became paranoid. Was his hair really messy? He didn’t have cum on his shirt, did he? He looked down as surreptitiously as possible, running his hands across the cotton. He tugged the shirt down, then shoved his hands in his pockets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nat met his eyes squarely and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> that </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> knew what he and Venom just did. He cleared his throat and tried to tell her with his eyes to be cool.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on. We’re going back to the bungalow.” she said with a twitch of her head to the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shotgun?” Eddie asked hopefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” replied Sam. “I called it first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie grumbled as the other man flipped the seat forward and graciously indicated the tight back seat. He climbed in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they drove it quickly became apparent that preventing Venom from healing his hole was a bad idea. The leather seats were hard and he had to keep his knees scrunched up since there was so little leg room. Every bump or aggressive turn made his ass burn. And Nat took corners like she was on a racetrack.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Should have let me heal you.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, can you now?” he muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>No. You decided already.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’ve </span>
  <em>
    <span>un</span>
  </em>
  <span>decided. Please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>No.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Sam? Can you move up your seat a bit?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I need the room.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie squirmed the rest of the ride.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Venom slouched into their guest room at the Airbnb, a small room that had probably been an office in the house’s previous incarnation. Venom closed the blinds as Eddie shucked off his clothes. The sun was beginning to come up. He felt like he’d been up for </span>
  <em>
    <span>days</span>
  </em>
  <span> after their misadventure. The double bed looked incredibly inviting. Standing in only his boxers, he pulled back the comforter and prepared to climb in. Just then, the doorknob turned, spooking Eddie and Venom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He jumped, his other flowing out over him, whirling to see…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head from side to side to keep the symbiote from fully flowing over it. They pulled back, still leaving the rest of him suited up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck are you doing in here?” he hissed. “Can’t you knock?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh. The others are asleep already. Steve’s a light sleeper; supersoldier hearing and all that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie felt the blood rush to his face. “So he…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. You’re not as subtle as you think you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie buried his burning face in their huge hands. “We were.. We just… We needed a release.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned against the dresser and crossed her arms, scowling. “That’s not the only thing you aren’t subtle about. Get dressed and meet me in the backyard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What? Why?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Because I want to talk to you and I don't want to wake up the others." She spun and left. A moment later, they heard the back door click shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>What do we do?</b>
  <span> Venom asked, sinking back under Eddie's skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, we listen to her, I guess."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Tired, Eddie.</b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. Me too." He gave a longing look to the bed, but reached out and grabbed his pants from the crumpled heap of clothes on the chair in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Padding through the dark house, he opened the door. Eddie inhaled the cool, moist air. His keen eyes quickly spotted the redhead sitting on the small picnic table. He joined her, sitting opposite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is it?" he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You. Need. To watch. Yourselves. You are being so </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking</span>
  </em>
  <span> careless."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie recoiled from her tone. "What?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You! You two </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be more careful when you kill and how you operate as vigilantes. I can't fucking believe you killed Buckner in </span>
  <em>
    <span>the same goddamn room</span>
  </em>
  <span> as Steve!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We went behind a table before we killed him…” He winced. It sounded stupid even to his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh! Shut up and listen to me.” she snarled. Her normally cool demeanor was shattered. Two spots of high colour decorated her cheeks. "I'm just shocked he chose to </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe</span>
  </em>
  <span> your excuse and didn't bounce your gooey black ass all the way to the Raft! He is going to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>watching</span>
  </em>
  <span> you so incredibly closely now. And after I </span>
  <em>
    <span>handed </span>
  </em>
  <span>you the perfect excuse!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Venom growled in Eddie’s head. They liked Natasha, but that didn’t mean they liked her tone right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And this after </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span> else that's happened?! You are a придурок!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie blinked and cringed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any idea how </span>
  <em>
    <span>lucky</span>
  </em>
  <span> you are that only </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh… No?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She snorted, then hissed, “You need to be more careful, okay? I’m amazed you haven’t had the police on your ass </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> this point. I can’t believe you just </span>
  <em>
    <span>strolled</span>
  </em>
  <span> into that other company and </span>
  <em>
    <span>killed</span>
  </em>
  <span> the CEO! Do you even </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> how to do undercover work?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He bristled. “Of course I do! I used to do it all the time for my job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, then apparently you forgot. Just because you do things that no human could do, doesn’t mean you’re immune from suspicion. You’re really fucking lucky that Hydra wanted to get their hands on you, otherwise you’d be in even </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> trouble!”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>How dare she talk to us like that!</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“They already wiped the police department’s computers of anything pertaining to you and contaminated the evidence, so you’re only going to have the cops hating you, instead of actively trying to arrest you. SHIELD is still going to have a hell of a time cleaning up after you. Ugh!” she growled. “And </span>
  <em>
    <span>SHIELD</span>
  </em>
  <span>… I can’t believe they let you do this without stepping in!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie cowered before her, cringing like she was the one who was seven and a half feet tall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, listen up, Eddie Brock and Venom: In the future you </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> be more careful. Try not to eat anymore high-profile people, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> keep off camera, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> clean up after yourself. The police will have a hell of a time finding evidence pointing towards you if you don’t leave it just </span>
  <em>
    <span>lying around</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes’m.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And if you get in over your head like this </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> again, you get </span>
  <em>
    <span>help</span>
  </em>
  <span> before it goes to shit, not </span>
  <em>
    <span>after</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” She stopped, breathing hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie felt cowed. Even Venom had relented under her fury.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes I feel like the only one with </span>
  <em>
    <span>any </span>
  </em>
  <span>sense left.” Natasha said half to herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-so what now? Do we… Do we need to get out of town, or…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. You’re staying here a couple more days until your police friend can get the charges dropped-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?!” Eddie spluttered. “He </span>
  <em>
    <span>died</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He was shot in the back right in front of us!” He sat back up straight. “That fuckin’ incendiary ammo blew apart my arm. There’s no </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> Isaac survived that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was a dud. It didn’t go off. It ricocheted off his ribcage and lodged in his liver. A janitor found him not long after everyone one left to hunt you. He’s incredibly lucky. He’s going to be in the hospital for a while yet, but he’ll live.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit.” It felt like a weight he hadn’t even noticed had been lifted. “How are you getting him to drop the charges? If you think </span>
  <em>
    <span>we’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> stubborn…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“SHIELD has exerted some pressure. They’ve also offered him a job. They’re always looking for more people and I think they needed someone like him. They’ll be moving him and his family away for the time being, until he’s recovered and trained.” Before Eddie could exclaim again, Nat continued. “You weren’t wrong about this Hydra cell being the ones who ate glue. They were completely unprepared for anything like </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>We’re badasses.</b>
  <span> Venom purred smugly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t get cocky though. If you came up against another Hydra cell, I don’t think you’d get so lucky. And everyone around you wouldn’t be so lucky either. Eddie, Venom, keep in mind that innocent people did </span>
  <em>
    <span>die</span>
  </em>
  <span> from what you did. Hydra killed every other cop that was in the task force to find you </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> their families. They didn’t have anyone to warn them like Anne and Dan did. You want to be a hero? You’ve got to think about other people first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, she spun on her heel and walked back inside, leaving Eddie and Venom sitting in the pale pre-dawn light.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let's hope Steve and Sam are busy enough that they don't go poking into what Eddie and Venom have actually been doing!<br/>I also couldn't bear to actually kill of Isaac and his family. I was going to, but I couldn't.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Woo! And that is that for this story! Thank you all for reading and commenting; it's massively appreciated.<br/>Sorry for the late update; I find endings difficult and I got annoyed last minute and rewrote it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter 22</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie drove the Scrambler to the hospital. Isaac was due to be released that afternoon. It was probably kind of fucking stupid to be going to visit the cop who figured out what he was, but Eddie had to. Isaac had nearly sacrificed himself for Eddie. Granted, he had also thought at the time that his family was dead so he had nothing left to lose, but still.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Parking the motorcycle, he started for the hospital entrance, dutifully squirting hand sanitizer on his hands as he passed the doors.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>You know I could clean your hands far more effectively, right?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The nurses would yell at me if they saw me walk in without doing this though. Never piss off a nurse.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A tendril oozed out to investigate the residue on Eddie’s hand. It recoiled. </span>
  <b>Smells like </b>
  <b>
    <em>poison</em>
  </b>
  <b>.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’ll evaporate away. Help me pick flowers, babe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom swirled through his eyes as they approached the little gift shop and its fridge full of bouquets.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>What’s Isacc’s favourite colour?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have no fucking idea. Beige, probably.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They took control of Eddie’s arm and pointed at a squat vase filled with baby’s breath and blue carnations. </span>
  <b>This one.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie hid a smile. “I don’t think he’d like one congratulating him on his new baby boy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom rumbled annoyance at the back of Eddie’s skull. </span>
  <b>This one then.</b>
  <span> They pointed at one with orange lilies, yellow dahlias and assorted other filler flowers in warm colours.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good choice.” With a tug, he took control back from his other and slid open the doors. They exhaled a breath of cool, floral air. Taking the bouquet to the desk he handed over cash and headed to the elevator. “Do you remember what floor and room?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom snickered at their host’s poor memory. </span>
  <b>Fourth floor, room fourteen.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, love.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The elevator chimed and shuddered to a halt as the appropriate floor was reached.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>There are other people in his room.</b>
  <span> Venom said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie could feel it too, as he drew nearer. It was subtle, coming through their bond when they weren’t masked up. He would have a hell of a time ever explaining it to someone else. He could just </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> someone else there, like you sometimes knew when people snuck up behind you. He rounded the corner to see Jocelyn sitting on a chair beside the bed where Isaac was propped up. He was holding a soundly sleeping baby in his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They looked up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We, um, picked these for you.” He thrust out the vase of flowers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jocelyn got up and took them, arranging them on the bedside table where more flowers and cards sat. She had a guarded expression, not sure what way she should jump.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie. Thank you.” Isaac said, adjusting the baby slightly. “I’m glad to see you made it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An unexpected lump came to his throat. He swallowed thickly around it. “Jesus fucking Christ, Isaac. I-we… How can we even thank you enough?” He felt a sudden urge to flee. He fisted his hands in his hair, breathing heavily. He walked in a small circle, trying to get himself under control.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Eddie. Calm down.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is so fucking stupid, you got </span>
  <em>
    <span>shot</span>
  </em>
  <span> because of us and now we’re giving you </span>
  <em>
    <span>flowers</span>
  </em>
  <span>…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you get a new jacket? It looks nice.” Isaac interrupted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, yeah. We got shot and it destroyed my old one.” Eddie absently replied, stopping his spin and tugging on the stiff new leather.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got shot too? Then we’re even.” Isaac replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I get fucking shot all the time, its not the same… Jocelyn, we’re so sorry…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I knew that there would always be a chance of Isaac being wounded or killed in the line of duty. I’m just happy he survived.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Calm down. Our heart is beating very fast.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> calm down and you know that.” Sweat prickled down his back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With an annoyed growl, Venom took charge of Eddie’s muscles, plopping him into a chair and sticking him to it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>V</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Oh my god, let me up right this instant, you useless blob of </span>
  <em>
    <span>goo</span>
  </em>
  <span>…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>No. Not until you start acting rationally again.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He growled wordlessly, trying to free himself, but to no avail. His muscles were on lockdown. He looked up to see both other people staring at him. His face went so hot he thought it might burst into flames.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Still have your ‘friend’ huh?” Isaac said carefully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes</span>
  </em>
  <span> and they will </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> be getting chocolate later!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie, just don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>worry</span>
  </em>
  <span> so much. I’m not mad at you about being shot and neither is Jocelyn. I made the decision to fight back. I lived and that’s all that really matters. And hey, I got a better paying job out of it, so…” He smiled weakly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sucked in a few deep breaths, trying to get himself under control. “How did you get out?” he asked Jocelyn.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shrugged. “They pulled me over not long after I left for my brother’s. They were still pretending to be police and were going on about a burnt out taillight, then about my registration being out of date. I knew something was wrong because what am I, stupid? I’m a cop’s wife. They tried to bring me in, so I subdued them and got the hell out of there. I went and stopped overnight at a janky motel with Ava before I actually went to my brother’s. They never tried to go after me again, so…” she shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>subdued</span>
  </em>
  <span> them?” Eddie asked incredulously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I taught Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu before I left to have Ava. Those Hydra people only sent two guys after me. It was easy enough.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie blinked. “Did you know you married a badass?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smiled. “I do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She reached out and took his free hand, giving it a squeeze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, thank you for dropping the case.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that Isaac’s expression darkened. “We’re not talking about that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie winced. Isaac was enormously idealistic and this had to fly blatantly in the face of his core beliefs. “So, um, what’re SHIELD gonna get you to do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Desk job, mostly. I'm going to keep their agents in line.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s good, that’s good…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was an uncomfortable pause.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We should, um, go. We got other places to be. Yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie scurried out of the hospital. “Holy fuck, that got awkward…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Then why did we go?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a human thing. I couldn’t just </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> say anything to him; he nearly died for us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Humans make things too complicated. Should just not have gone. We probably won’t see him again anyways.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“V, sometimes you can be kind of a dick…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I’m not the one stressing myself out for no reason. It tastes bad in here, Eddie.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie crammed the helmet onto his head and straddled the Scrambler. He started it and gunned the throttle a bit harder than necessary. It leaped into motion, bearing him away from the awkwardness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Bored.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you're just gonna have to be patient. I’ve got a few more ‘me’ things to get done today.” Eddie replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shockingly, he hadn’t turned out to be a pariah after all. Between Natasha and SHIELD, they had turned it so it looked like Eddie had been the victim of a conspiracy to make him look like he’d been the one killing the billionaires. The police suspected differently, but except for Isaac, literally everyone else who had proof otherwise was dead. So now a number of news websites and shows were after him for interviews, at least until they moved onto the next scandal. He’d turned down a bunch, but he was heading to one interview today. It was with a website that had bad-mouthed him pretty badly, so he was looking forward to making them squirm. Natasha was a goddamned genius when it came to manipulating records and putting together new stories. There was a reason she had been an Avenger and she currently ranked very high on Eddie’s list of ‘never piss off ever’.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom was still sulking in his abdomen, so Eddie relented and said, “Look, will you feel better if I let you drive us to my interview?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They considered silently for a moment. </span>
  <b>Very well, Eddie.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just follow the rules of the road. It’ll look pretty fucking bad if the police pull us over for stunting right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>I know.</b>
  <span> With a pulse of amusement, they pulled the Scrambler into a short wheelie before settling into the speed limit.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The interview went as well as could be hoped. He was still completely at ease in front of the camera from his days on The Brock Report. He turned on the charm, made the interviewer squirm a few times, asked a few pointed questions of his own. Eddie figured they’d be chopping it up into a few soundbites anyways. He knew how these sorts of things went. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, the last item on their list for the day was to visit Anne and Dan for dinner. He hadn’t seen them in person since before everything had gone to shit. He missed them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>You know that Anne is going to yell at us, right?</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shuddered. “I know. She’ll forgive us though. She forgave me after I got us both fired from our jobs.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>She was furious with you for six months.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but she got over it eventually. Annie’s good that way. SHIELD got a contractor to fix the bullet holes in her walls already, so she can’t be too mad, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom hummed doubtfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re right.” Eddie fretted. “We’d better stop first and pick something up for them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>More flowers.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good idea. Maybe a bottle of wine too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>And chocolate.</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie climbed up the stairs, a bunch of carnations clutched in one sweaty hand. Venom cradled a bottle of wine. There had been a box of chocolates, but on the drive to Anne and Dan's, a certain gooey someone had decided to sample a couple of flavours and Eddie could </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> give Anne a half-eaten chocolate assortment, so he'd eaten the rest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knocked on the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anne opened it almost immediately.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Venom lifted up the bottle of wine to head height and thrust it towards her. </span>
  <b>"We got you this poison. Eddie said it will taste like pepper and also blackberries."</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Jesus fuck, V… Uh. Hey Annie." He smiled winningly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hi guys. Thank you for the wine and flowers. Come in. Dan's just taking the appetizer out of the oven."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie followed her in, watching as she trimmed the flower stems and placed them in water. He sniffed, smelling the hint of fresh paint underneath the scent of garlic and spinach from the oven. A picture that used to hang by the door was gone too, the spot empty. He winced. The print had been a limited edition that Anne had loved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shrugged off his jacket and hung it up in the closet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, Eddie, Venom." Dan called, waving and accidentally brandishing the paring knife held in his hand. "Want a drink?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Fizzy water.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Uh, a Lacroix, if you have some?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"In the fridge. Help yourself."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grabbed a tangerine one and popped the top, taking a deep slug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Can we help?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nah." the doctor replied. "It's mostly done. I just have to finish cutting the green beans. Go sit and eat the spinach dip."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They sat and sampled the dip. Venom rumbled in delight. They were hungry, as always.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Delicious! More!</b>
  <span> They extruded a tendril to ferry more pita triangles loaded with the dip to their host's mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mr. Belvedere hopped up on the couch and inserted himself on Eddie's lap, demanding pets. He tangled his fingers in the cat's long fur.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anne poured herself a glass of the wine and carefully sat on the loveseat opposite them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Oh boy… here it comes. Brace yourself, Eddie.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pretended to be extremely absorbed in scratching the cat's ears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Eddie."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked up, face a pizza of terror. "Mmhmm?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So you know how I thought what you were doing was stupid?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mmm…?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah. It was stupid."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We, um, we see that now. It got kind of out of hand…" Mr. Belvedere got overstimulated and jumped down, leaving a fine layer of hair on Eddie's pants and shirt. His hands switched to nervously rolling the hair in between his fingers and throwing it on the floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anne just looked at him, lips thin and white.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We… we, um, didn't know how far reaching this was going to be."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Yes. Thought it would be simple.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie stammered out a few more excuses while Anne just stared at him until he petered out. Then she calmly and quietly tore them a new one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie cringed before her tirade.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>First Natasha, now Anne.</b>
  <span> Venom rumbled mournfully. </span>
  <b>Hope Mrs. Chen isn't next…</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once Anne said everything she needed to, she took another drink of wine and got up, acting like everything was fine again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>At least she wasn't mad at us for six months this time…</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie heartily agreed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dinner was baked salmon, green beans and rice pilaf. It was delicious, as always. Dan took the same care in the kitchen that he did in his job and it showed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They finished dinner. Anne and Dan finished the wine, though it didn't really go with dinner. Dessert was an apple pie and ice cream.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Afterwards, they drove home. Normally, they would have patrolled a little. But not tonight. They wanted something lower key. Eddie and Venom decided to stay in with a movie that night. He'd had quite enough of conspiracies and murder for one month, thank you very much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe he'd settle down a bit. Work on his writing. He had some good material to work with after this whole thing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Besides, it would be best to keep away from anything that might get the cops involved. At least for a while. Y'know, if the world would allow it for a little while.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If anyone has any prompts, fire them off to me in the comments and maybe I'll write some one-shots.<br/>Thank you so much! Stay safe and sane out there.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>